LAHORE, Sept 11: An acid burn victim from India, Deep Kaur, is expected to undergo first of a series of reconstructive plastic surgeries on Tuesday (today). Accompanied by her brother Guru Charan Singh, the victim has been invited to Pakistan by Depilex Smileagain Foundation (DSF), which is bearing the entire cost of the reconstructive procedure. Completely deaf, she responds to questions through signs.
Plastic surgeon Dr Abrar Pirzada says the first reconstructive surgery session will aim at opening of victim’s eyelids and reconstruct lips. He says the victim has a complete face burn, damaged eyes, ears, nose, neck and right shoulder.
Talking to Dawn, Guru Charan Singh said his sister was burnt by her husband Ranjeet Singh some three-and-a-half-years ago, but they came to know about the gruesome incident after about four months of its happening. “Till then, the culprit had concocted stories and got the victim’s statements in his favour to avoid police action,” he lamented.
As Deep Kaur, 41, was sitting blank beside her brother, he said they learnt that the culprit had thrown acid on her and later got her admitted to a hospital in J P Nagar, Bhopal. The accused told the police that an acid bottle had fallen on his wife while she was cleaning the bathroom. “Can an acid bottle falling from a niche damage a person so badly that she is crippled for the rest of her life?,” he wondered.
Mr Singh, a vegetable vendor in Gwalior, said her sister’s husband had ejected her after getting himself absolved of the crime. He said it was quite unfortunate for the victim that her parents also refused to accept her when she returned to them. Stating that Deep Kaur then attempted suicide, he said he took a stand and brought her back home. “I told my parents that let her live and eat what we are affording for ourselves,” he said.
He said Deep Kaur had two sons. Elder son Vijay Pal Singh, 22, had left his parents and had no contact with the family for the last three years, while the younger son, Totta, 13, was living with her mother. He said Totta was also deaf and stammers while talking.
He said that they were very poor and could not afford treatment of his sister in India. With regard to their reaching Lahore, he said that one of his cousins, who lived in England, had approached the DSF representatives and negotiated her visit to Lahore for corrective surgery. Still, he said, it took them some one-and-a-half-year to land in Lahore. “It took one year to get a passport and then six months to get a visa,” he added. “Now, the DSF is funding the treatment and our stay here,” he said.
Meanwhile, another burn victim at the foundation’s office, Sabira, 27, said that she was also burnt by her husband in Jhelum some 13 years ago. She said that her husband had sprinkled kerosene oil and set her on fire for not bringing substantial dowry. She said that she was only 14-year old at that time. She said that she got treatment at Jhelum, and then at PIMS. After several surgeries, she said, she had started doing volunteer work with different NGOs. Later, she said, the DSF offered two surgeries and cured her completely. “Now, I am doing volunteer work with the foundation,” she added.
She said that her parents had married her off at a tender age just to discharge their duty.
Meanwhile, Dr Abrar Pirzada said the reconstructive plastic surgery helped victims recover and enabled them to participate in day-to-day life. However, he said that in such cases the victims recovered 60-70 per cent.
DSF general secretary Samina Afzal Naz said the foundation was treating some 200 burn victims comprising women (65 per cent) and children (35 per cent). She claimed that some 35 patients had so far been completely treated and were living a productive life.