LONDON: A
young student who was severely injured during attack on the Army Public
School (APS) by terrorists thanked property tycoon Malik Riaz for
sponsoring his treatment by paying £71,000 (over Rs11 million) at an
expensive Harley Street Clinic here.
Muhammad Ibrahim
Khan was left almost completely paralysed when terrorists linked with
the Taliban entered the APS and opened fire on school staff and
children, killing 145 people, including 132 schoolchildren, ranging
between eight and eighteen years of age. Dozens of students were injured
in the attack, some of them paralysed for life.
Ibrahim
got multiple injuries, including spine and gut, which left him weak in
his legs, leading to loss of bladder and bowel control. His parents were
informed by a team of local experts and senior doctors that there was
no treatment available for the kind of complex spinal injuries in any
part of the world. Ibrahim’s parents had lost all hopes but then someone
advised them to contact Malik Riaz.
Speaking to Geo News
at the Harley Street Clinic, father Muhammad Khan Afridi said they
contacted federal and KP governments as well as philanthropists but none
came forward to help his son.
“A friend of mine then took
me to Malik Riaz and I was able to show him pictures of my son. Within a
minute, Malik Riaz agreed to fund treatment of my son and asked his
staff to make arrangements. For 8 months, my son was messed up and
doctors in different hospitals did do their job properly. They just
wanted to get rid of my son.”
Ibrahim arrived in London on
August 19 with his parents and young sister. He was admitted on August
21 in the Harley Street Hospital. To the luck of the student, renowned
Pakistani neurosurgeon Dr Irfan Malik was contacted by the hospital to
treat the APS massacre victim. He was operated upon by a team of expert
surgeons led by Dr Irfan Malik. Ibrahim’s surgery lasted for six hours.
Ibrahim who was bed ridden and unable to move since the APS attack is
now able to stand on his feet and walk – within a week after the
surgery.
Dr Irfan Malik, who is known widely in the UK for
his expertise in the areas of spine injuries, spine tumours including
spine cancers and keyhole spine surgery, told Geo News: “Muhammad’s case
was very complicated because bullet trajectory has shattered vertebrae
and damaged lower spinal nerves. His nerves lost connections with his
leg’s muscles. If you leave it untreated for more than three months,
prognosis is not usually good. In addition to being bedridden for more
than 8 months, Ibrahim also developed pressure sores.
“The
APS massacre is an emotional matter for the whole world but especially
for Pakistanis. I made sure that the operation costs are not charged but
Malik Riaz helped a great deal as he paid £71,000 which is huge
humanitarian gesture. It’s most important that Muhammad is able to
continue making progress. The technology that we used to treat Muhammad
was endoscopic laser surgery with intra-operative image guidance and MEP
& SEP monitoring. It’s not available in Pakistani hospitals.”
Dr
Malik commended Malik Riaz for sending the student to London for
treatment. “The injuries to Muhammad were so serious that he could have
suffered permanent paralyses and thankfully Malik Riaz intervened at the
right time and helped save his life. Malik Riaz has proved that he
believes in sharing his wealth with the less fortunate and those who
have no one else to turn towards.”
Ibrahim’s mother broke
down in tears when narrating how the family ran from pillar to post in
Pakistani cities begging for help but no attention was paid at any
level. “Our lives came to a halt when the APS was attacked. Politicians
moved on quickly but we can’t because we have maimed and injured to deal
with. Just imagine the pain of a mother who is told for 8 long months
that her son has been paralysed forever and cannot walk again. I cannot
express my joy now when I see my son walking again. I am thankful to
Riaz Malik and Dr Irfan for giving a new life to my son. I must stress
that the KP government didn’t do anything for us because it was their
job to help us. We approached the federal government too but no
attention was paid to us. I ask Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif to be
sincere to the children of the nation. They are the future of Pakistan.”
