Bullet-hit Kulgam man gets new life

Month after a bullet shattered vital arteries in his throat and neck, Abdul Salam Bhat is fit to walk out of the Super Specialty Hospital here where doctors did a life saving surgery on his torn vessels. The life, Bhat said, was a new one perhaps because doctors, over the period of his stay in the hospital, had many times feared he might not make it.

“He literally battled with not just death but a lot more that could have killed him,” said Dr Khalid Mohiuddin while referring to the helplessness of Bhat when he was asked to arrange Rs 1 lakh for his surgery. He said that due to the bullet injury there was an abnormal communication between his sub-clavian artery and internal jugular vein, a life threatening condition but something that could be set right with a little stent (mini tube-like device).

   

However, for the lack of resources, death seemed imminent to the 53-year old artisan from Redwani Kulgam. “I am a saw worker, who merely earns Rs 500 a week. How could have I arranged Rs 1 lakh,” Bhat said.

His family, after struggling and failing to arrange the money, had almost given up hope when Greater Kashmir Medical Trust was apprised about the financial difficulty of the patient. The doctors at the hospital were requested to go ahead with the surgery by the Trust that pledged to bear all the costs of the surgery, including the stent.

Following the surgery, doctors said Bhat was “perfectly alright”. The 40-minute surgery was conducted by a team that consisted of Dr Khalid Mohiuddin, Dr Syed Maqbool, Dr Bashir, Dr Nazir, Dr Parvaiz, Dr Irfan and Dr Tahir.

Without the financial assistance, the patient would have to go for open surgery, a cumbersome and life threatening procedure, said the doctors. “He already had a limb threatening ischemia and heart failure was imminent if left untreated,” said Dr Syed Maqbool, who was part of the team.

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