• Home

Top Indian heart doctor to operate on Pak baby

Luckily for Ridda, the recently improved relations between Pakistan and India can help save her life. In a few days, Sharjah-based Pakistani national Qaiser Naqvi, the father of Ridda, will fly to India with his daughter so that she can be operated upon.

On her birth, Ridda was diagnosed with a complete AV canal with single valve, which is a congenital heart problem and requires an open-heart surgery.

“According to the cardiac surgeon, patches have to be placed in the heart to make separate valves,” explains Mr Naqvi. Upon her birth in Zulekha Hospital, Sharjah, the doctors were unable to detect Ridda’s condition. Dr Aslam Qazi, a paediatrician at Al Zahra Hospital, referred the couple to Dr Abdullah Al Khayat, Director of Al Wasl Hospital, Dubai, who diagnosed the problem. The diagnosis came as a shock to the couple whose other children, three girls and one boy, are normal.

“It was a terrible time for us as we rushed to and fro trying to locate a doctor who could operate upon my child,” said the father. “Dr Al Khayat, who is also a consultant paediatrician and cardiologist, referred us to Mafraq Hospital in Abu Dhabi which had these facilities but we were told that there was a long waiting list, and we had no time as the allowed time for Ridda’s operation is between 4 to 6 months,” he said.

“Both myself and my wife spent sleepless nights as we tried to contact reputed cardiovascular hospitals the world over, including Pakistan. Many were unaffordable while no hospital in Pakistan, including Aga Khan Hospital in Karachi and other reputed hospitals in Lahore, did such kind of surgery,” said the father. According to Mr Naqvi, the couple was then referred to doctor K. M. Cherian who is based in Madras, India. “We were told that in India facilities were good and affordable,” said Mr Naqvi.

“Dr Cherian is a pioneer paediatrician cardiologist surgeon who has conducted heart operations for 20 Iraqi children (blue-babies) free of cost,” he added. “We have been told that the recovery period in such an operation is up to three weeks,” said Mr Naqvi. “We just pray to the Almighty that everything goes well for our little daughter,” he added.

Praising the cooperation of the Consul-General of India in Dubai, Yash Sinha, Mr Naqvi said the Indian diplomats arranged for a visa within days. “I was told by the Indian Consul-General that if I had come to them earlier, the visa could have been processed even faster due to the emergency nature of the situation,” said Mr Naqvi, appearing gratified.

Explaining the difference in costs, Mr Naqvi said that such an operation would have cost $35,000 in the UK, but in India, the cost came up to $8,000 which was affordable. “Thank God for the improving relations between both countries as we are benefiting from it. The Indian medical field is both hopeful and helpful for Pakistani nationals,” he said.

• UAE