Why this Afghan man can’t stop thanking UAE

Dubai: Timely intervention by surgeons in a Dubai hospital have helped save the hands of an Afghan man from being amputated.

The patient, Mohammad Hazrat, a 57-year-old, had suffered horrific gunshot wounds in an ambush in Afghanistan. The sole breadwinner of his family and father of a teenage son, he was hit on both his hands and had to be rushed to a hospital in Kabul.

Speaking to Gulf News, Hazrat recounted his encounter with some dangerous elements. “Last year, I was shot by some thieves who ambushed me in the northern district of Deh Sabz, Bagram, while I was on my way to work. The attack caused severe injuries to my hands and had I not come here on advice of my doctors in Kabul, I would have lost my forearms which would have been disastrous. I am the breadwinner at home. My child is a student. I needed to be employed to earn a livelihood and support my family, but I was in pain and struggling with these injuries.”

Hazrat underwent several surgeries in Kabul itself but his injuries were grave, and his health started deteriorating. Doctors had advised that his hands may have to be amputated to save his life.

A painful existence

Describing his daily struggle to live with his injuries, Hazrat said: “It was really difficult to live with injured hands as I was not able to take care of my personal needs without help from others. It was a very difficult and painful period in my life as I could not go to work and staying in the hospital for several months.”

Acting on advice of his doctors he was moved to the UAE for treatment and admitted to at the Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery (BHAS), Dubai. Under the team lead by Dr Bhuvaneshwar Machani, Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon specialised in upper limb treatment, he underwent a series of surgeries to save his forelimbs. Now, he can move his hand, and look after himself for all his personal needs.

Infection, tissue damage

Describing Hazrat’s ordeal, Dr Machani said: “Hazrat came to us with severely injured gore limbs. There were multiple fractures, and his tissues and muscles were heavily damaged. By the time he was admitted to the hospital, he was suffering from multiple issues, including soft tissue infection, wounds, fractures, and nerve injuries.”

A multidisciplinary medical team lead by Dr Machani treated the patient assiduously with the intention of saving his fore limbs. The treatment focused on curing his infection and healing the wound and damages to the tissue, followed by series of surgeries to treat fractures.

In the first phase of treatment, Hazrat was admitted for over three months. He returned to Afghanistan and was supposed to return to the UAE in February for follow-up surgery.

But due to COVID-19, his follow-up visit was delayed, and he returned only in the first week of November. “We are happy to see that Hazrat is now able to move his hands. He is now able to look after himself and take care of his needs on his own. His hands have now gained the strength, and he will be fully recovered shortly,” said Dr. Machani.

Indebted to UAE

Expressing gratitude to the team of surgeons at Burjeel Hospital, Hazrat said: “I want to thank Dr Machani and the Burjeel Hospital for their timely and successful intervention to save my limbs. My family depends on me entirely and I had been unemployed owing to my serious injuries. Now that I can move my hands, I can restart my work. I also thank UAE authorities for facilitating my treatment. I am glad to see modern medical facilities available in the country to treat such complex cases,” said the happy patient.