A twelve-year-old boy named Asif on March 27, was brought into The Indus Hospital by his parents who at this point were grief-stricken and in shock. When he was admitted he was comatose as had been suffering from fever-induced fits. The father of the patient tearfully said, "He lost consciousness suddenly and we were so worried."
He displayed signs of meningitis but upon further testing, it was found that Asif was infected with the brain-eating amoeba "Naegleria Fowleri".
In such circumstances it is extremely rare for a patient to live longer than ten days, in fact, the case fatality rate is over 95 percent. His prognosis was so poor that he was given a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) status.
Fortunately, after ten days of treatment the doctors retested and found no traces of the amoeba. Nevertheless, it had already done significant damage; Asif had an elevated intracranial pressure as a result of water in the brain. The doctors introduced a shunt into his brain to drain the water and since then he has shown some improvement.
His father tells us, "My son has been in the hospital for more than two months now. Two weeks ago, he opened his eyes for the first time. He can now recognize my wife's voice. Due to the excruciating pain he feels, he cannot help the tears falling down his face. We cannot do anything about it as the doctor says this will help him recover faster."
Asif is still being treated as a patient with meningitis and tuberculosis. He cannot talk yet but we are hopeful for his recovery. In situations like these, the fact that he has survived this long is nothing short of a miracle. We hope that by sharing his story, we can raise awareness of this harmful amoeba and also encourage institutions that are working to combat such deadly diseases without charging any money from the patients.
The Indus Hospital prides itself on being able to give quality care to patients, free of cost, who otherwise would not be able to afford the treatment necessary to save their lives.
Nowadays, the costs of medical procedures are skyrocketing and people could not afford basic health facilities.
The CEO of The Indus Hospital, Dr Abdul Bari Khan, says, "In a country where the miracle of medical science is yet to reach the common man, amazing coronary angioplasties, life saving cardiac bypass surgeries, cutting edge laser interventions or restorative orthopaedic procedures are hi-tech and very expensive.
Some brave the expenses by selling their present and mortgaging their future, but many just wait to die."
In these tough times, The Indus Hospital works tirelessly to bridge this gap and make this miracle available to everyone regardless of one's standing in society. Since its conception in July 2007, The Indus Hospital has successfully treated over 1.8 million patients in its multi-facility health centre.
The mission of the hospital is to provide free healthcare to all with no care to race, creed or financial status. Located in the heart of Korangi (a densely populated area in the megacity of Karachi), The Indus Hospital strives to serve the people of Pakistan by providing them with high standard medical assistance.
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