AFIC to treat Pak siblings expelled from India

ISLAMABAD: In a humanitarian gesture and prompt medical response, both Pakistani children who were recently expelled by Indian authorities while seeking treatment for a life-threatening heart condition have now been admitted to the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) in Rawalpindi, where their treatment has formally begun.

The children, Abdullah, 9, and Minsa, 7, both are suffering from a congenital heart defect known as Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). Soon after the children arrived in Pakistan, the prime minister of Pakistan issued clear instructions for their immediate and free medical care. Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal and Minister of State for Health Mukhtar Bharath contacted the children’s father, Shahid Ali, and offered full treatment at the AFIC or any other health institution of his choice across Pakistan.

The two children were originally undergoing treatment at the Asian Institute of Medical Sciences in Faridabad near Delhi. However, in an unfortunate turn, Indian authorities asked the family to leave before the medical procedure could be completed. The sudden expulsion left the family in distress, having traveled across borders in search of a lifesaving treatment for the siblings.

The National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) in Karachi formed a high-level medical board, which conducted a thorough evaluation and confirmed that both children could safely undergo surgical procedures for TOF within Pakistan, thereby eliminating the need for treatment abroad. Reassured by the medical team’s confidence and the institute’s proven track record in paediatric cardiac care, Shahid Ali expressed satisfaction with treatment arrangements.

While the family later proceeded to the AFIC in Rawalpindi for a second opinion, their admission marks the beginning of what authorities hope will be a successful treatment journey.

The surgeries are expected to take place soon, either at the AFIC or the NICVD, depending on the final medical decision.

Sindh health authorities said both surgeries would be performed entirely free of cost, with the support of the NICVD and the Sindh government if the parents wished to get the children treated at the NICVD.