Iraqi girl operated upon in Fortis

“The operation went well. The child is in good health and has been taken off the ventilator. She may be shifted to the ward tomorrow,” Dr Mahant told Newsline.

Dr Mahant explained that for now,it was not possible to close the hole in the girl’s heart,since her arteries were very small and she would not have withstood the procedure.

“We have widened the passage to her lungs to ensure adequate blood flow. The passage was very narrow earlier. That is why she got blue when she cried and became unconscious,” he said. “Hopefully her pulmonary arteries,which are very small for her age,will naturally enlarge with time.”

Dr Mahant said his team would now get in touch with their counterparts in Iraq to keep a regular check on the child’s health. “This is a regular procedure for all patients who come from overseas,” he said.

Aya’s parents were anxious when they came here,as this was their first visit to India and they knew only Arabic.

But father and brother of an Iraqi student at Panjab University came forward to help.

Farah Faris Kaddoori and his son Hassan,who were on a visit to India,helped the girl’s parents to communicate with the doctors and members of the Rotary Club,which sponsored Aya’s treatment under its ‘Heartline’ project.

The lodging facilities for her parents have been financed by the Mehar Baba Charitable Trust (MBCT),a Chandigarh-based NGO.

“Aya’s parents are relaxed after learning that their daughter will now lead a healthy life,” Hassan Mejie,joint secretary of Rotary Club,said.

Nepali girl operated for hole in her heart
As part of Rotary Club’s ‘Heartline’ project,16-year-old Nepali girl Shunna was operated upon on Friday. The girl has been shifted to the ward.

Dr T S Mahant of Fortis Hospital said the girl had a hole in her heart and high pressure in her lungs.

“Normally,the veins coming from the lungs should come to the left side of the heart. In Shunna’s case,these were coming to the right side. We had to direct them to the left side and close the hole. If she was not operated within a year or so,the problem could have turned fatal,” he said.