Dubai: The condition of a Dubai-based Indian child, who was critically injured in an accident in Oman, is improving. Her family members, including father, mother and a nine-month-old sibling were killed in the accident.
Three-year-old Haniyya has overcome the critical stage, said an Indian community member, who offered help after the accident.
Haniyya’s parents Ghousulla Azmathulla Khan, 30, and Ayesha Siddiqua, 29, and her eight-month-old brother Hamza were among the six people who died in the accident while they were on the way back home from a week-long vacation in Salalah.
The other deceased were Suwaid Al Shemaisi, executive manager of Corporate Affairs at Sohar Port and Free Zone, his son, Said, and Mohamed Salim Al Mamari, senior accountant, who travelled in the other car that rolled over and crashed into the Indian family’s car reportedly following a tyre burst.
Narrow escape
Haniyya, who had a narrow escape with head injury and multiple fractures, was shifted from Nizwa Hospital to Khoula Hospital for specialised treatment, according to the Indian Embassy in Muscat. On Monday, doctors were hoping to conduct a surgery on Haniyya, said Dr. Mushtaq Ahmed, one of the Indian community members who helped the authorities to trace Haniyya’s relatives and process the documents for the repatriation of the mortal remains of her family members.
“The doctors initially suspected that she had a brain injury. Her vitals were fluctuating and her blood pressure was shooting up,” said Dr. Ahmed, who is a professor with the Nizwa College of Technology.
“By God’s grace, the CT scan confirmed that she does not have any brain injury. Doctors are waiting for her vitals to stabilise so that they can do the orthopaedic surgery for her fractured leg. A team of doctors is expected to do it, if possible today itself,” he told Gulf News over phone on Monday.
Dr. Ahmed, who had sent out an appeal on WhatsApp to trace Haniyya’s relatives after the accident, thanked the social media users for their help and the assistance from Indian and Omani authorities.
The power of social media
“It was with the power of the social media that we managed to trace the relatives within a couple of hours. I am overwhelmed with the community support also. I received so many calls asking about her condition. Everyone has been praying for this child.”
Haniyya’s maternal aunt and uncle, who flew in from Dubai, are taking care of her, said Dr. Ahmed, who is a member of the community groups Deccan Wing and Nizwa Telugu Group that provided support to repatriate the mortal remains.
He said the brothers of Haniyya’s father and mother are also expected to fly in to Muscat soon.
