Pakistani infant gets new life in Indian hospital

The life of a four-month-old infant from Pakistan, suffering from hole in the heart and other heart-related problems, was saved following advanced medical treatment at a city hospital here, doctors said on Tuesday.

The treatment could be possible as a medical visa was provided by India to the patient despite the current strained relation with Pakistan.

According to doctors, Rohaan had a hole in his heart and the aorta -- the large trunk artery that carries blood from the left ventricle of the heart to branch arteries -- was coming from the right side.

"His pulmonary arteries were coming from the left, which was exactly opposite to the general structure of the body and oxygen-less blood was flowing in his body and his body was turning blue," according to Rajesh Sharma, Director, Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Jaypee Hospital.

Initially, unable to get a proper treatment in Pakistan, Rohaan's parents were trying hard to obtain an Indian medical visa for his treatment. With the humanitarian effort of Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, he was granted the medical visa.

He was brought to Jaypee hospital in Noida on June 12, where his heart surgery was performed on June 14.

"Before the surgery, the pressure in his lungs used to shoot up very quickly. It was found that from the very first month, Rohaan used to have heavy breathing and his weight was not increasing. He was also having pneumonia again and again because of which his condition was more critical," said Sharma.

Explaining the surgical procedure, Sharma said the aorta pulmonary arteries were removed from the original places and adjusted to their right places. 

The surgery took around five hours. The baby was shifted to ICU and was on ventilator support post-surgery. 

"Rohaan was kept under critical observation. To take the patient off the ventilator, tracheostomy was done. Along with this, a high calorie and high protein diet was given to him through nasogastric (NG) intubation feeding, so that he could have a speedy recovery. 

"Later tracheostomy was removed and baby Rohaan was shifted to the normal ward," said Sharma.

According to the hospital authorities, after complete recovery, baby Rohaan is now healthy enough to return to his country. - IANS