LAHORE, March 16: Eight more Pakistani children with burns and congenital abnormalities have returned home after undergoing complicated but successful surgeries in the USA.

The children were sent abroad by the Shalamar Hospital for various procedures with the collaboration of House of Charity, USA, along with two staff nurses -- Arsala and Ayesha – to look after them.

Both the hospital administration and the House of Charity, USA, have paid for all expenses incurred on the children’s treatment abroad, keeping in view the financial constraints of their parents.

On Saturday, a ceremony was organised on the return of the eight children -- Zeshan, Abdul Qadir, Rizwana, Khushi Mohammad, Mohammad Yousaf, Kinza Nawaz, Azeema Haider and Quratulain -- at the Shalamar Hospital.

Hospital Board of Trustees chairman Chaudhry Ahmad Saeed told the media that since 1997 the private facility had international liaison with the House of Charity with regard to free surgical treatment of burnt and congenitally abnormal local children.

He said the hospital had arranged successful surgeries of 54 Pakistani children in US so far.

He said four more children would be sent to the US for the purpose soon.

“These children either could not be treated in Pakistan or the treatment was so expensive that their families could not afford it,” Mr Ahmad said.

House of Charity Executive Director Hashmat Effendi and hospital Chief Operating Officer Dr Rashid Ahmed said they had also provided prosthetic/artificial limbs to several children so that they could perform their routine work, besides helping them to get free of cost treatment abroad.