AFIC performs life-saving surgery on kids denied treatment in India

RAWALPINDI: Two Pakistani children who were sent back without treatment from India have undergone successful surgeries at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) in Rawalpindi, ARY News reported.

Nine-year-old Abdullah and seven-year-old Minsa received critical care and surgical treatment at AFIC, thanks to the swift intervention of Field Marshal Asim Munir.

The children’s father, Shahid Ahmed, expressed heartfelt gratitude, saying, “Field Marshal Asim Munir took immediate notice of our case and assumed full responsibility for the children’s surgeries. Alhamdulillah, my children are now much better. I myself am a patient and may not have been able to bear the trauma. The doctors worked with great dedication, and AFIC is truly an outstanding institution.”

Commandant and Executive Director of AFIC, Major General (Retired) Dr. Naseer Ahmed Soomro, praised the medical team for their efforts, stating that the entire treatment plan was carefully structured and ultimately successful with the help of Allah.

Earlier, Federal Minister for Health, Syed Mustafa Kamal, took notice of the case involving two Pakistani children who were forced to return from India without receiving life-saving medical treatment.

Tensions between Pakistan and India have escalated following the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which claimed the lives of 26 people, most of them tourists. In the wake of the incident, India has canceled visas and directed Pakistani citizens to leave the country.

Among those affected are two minor siblings from Hyderabad, Sindh, 9-year-old Abdullah and his 7-year-old sister Minsa, both suffering from a congenital heart condition.

The children had traveled to New Delhi with their father, Shahid Ali, for critical heart procedures, and were admitted to a hospital in New Delhi.

However, they were denied treatment and expelled from the country following the cancellation of their visas.

Taking notice of the situation, Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal has instructed the Director General of Health to provide immediate support to the family. The minister assured that the government will facilitate the children’s treatment in the Pakistan.

He added that the children may potentially undergo surgery at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology and the National Institute of Heart Diseases (AFIC-NIHD) in Rawalpindi.