Farid Shinwari
PESHAWAR: The Paraplegic Center, one of the enormous institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for patients of spinal cord injuries has given unprecedented response since its establishment and has provided treatment to more than 9,500 patients of spinal cord injuries.
Imran Khan of Dir Lower district Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is not the only patient of incurable disease of spinal cord injury who undergoes via treatment at Paraplegic Center in Hayatabad Peshawar which is known as a reputable institute across the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in particular and Pakistan in general.
“I once went to my Mamu home where unexpected bullet fired unintentionally by him (Mamu) hitting me on my body” said Khan while sharing details of incident that paralyzed him. I was taken to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) one of the major hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the bullet injury.
Now I am here at Paraplegic Center in Hayatabad Peshawar undergoing treatment for the last few months, he stated. Being survived by a sister and brother, he said he does not move to school owing to my disease and that some schools are located at far-flung areas.
Imran Khan is not the only one getting treatment at Paraplegic Center but according to available data provided by this office, the center established in 1979 has provided treatment to more than 9,500 patients. The first patient was admitted in this center back in 1984. Days after Russians invaded Afghanistan in 1979, there was no such facility across the South Asia to deal with cases such as spinal cord injuries, the data informed.
“I was a daily-wager in Saudi Arabia and during work time i fell down on ground which caused paralysis for me, said Hamidullah of Peshawar with broken eyes, sitting in wheelchair at Paraplegic Center. I have been there in Saudi Arabia for three-months and fixing marbles in buildings.
After the occurrence, I was unable to walk anymore and beside, my both hands remained unmovable, he regretted and saying I went through a surgery in Saudi Arabia as well but that bring no improvement to my organs. Now i have been getting treatment at this center since last one month and felling a little bit improvement day by day, he added.
The information further describes that Paraplegic Center admits only 30 to 40 patients on monthly basis after it discharges 30 to 40 patients and an affected person can stay minimum for three months. Due to influx of patients, we still have more than 250 persons on waiting list from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Sindh, Gilgit Baltistan and other parts of country.
Jabir Khan, a well diligent personality, who is on his visit to this center with smiley face, is another patient of spinal cord injury who faced the unforgettable incident on 11th October, 2010 near Swabi district Interchange on Motorway due to tire burst when he was en-route to Islamabad to meet newly appointed Managing Director (MD) of Pakistan Television. After being admitted in Shifa Mardan wherefrom to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) and then came to Rehman Medical Institute (RMI) in Peshawar. As later I was then shifted to Shifa International Islamabad.
“I had been hit at back side and i might have been escaped if first aiders present at the time of incident because those who were present that time had unprofessionally transported me. Secondly, on that day, there was a strike of doctors community in hospitals” he lamented.
Now I come Paraplegic Center for playing sports and ended shyness to enter into normal life. I have tremendously improved in this center and it made me able to take part in all activities, he commented. Ironically I have participated in national level game in Abottabad district in 2013, then in 2014 in National Games.
Paraplegic Center being an autonomous body working under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department was established in 2007 on last day of the then Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) government in the light of ordinance and later in 2008, the ordinance was turned into an Act by Awami National Party (ANP) led coalition government, the documents further described.
Today all the spinal cord injuries patients are treated in accordance with international standards and techniques beside medical and nursing care as the patients are provided with physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychological counseling, orthotic devices, wheel chairs, walkers and recreational activities like sports, said Chief Executive of Paraplegic Center Syed Muhammad Ilyas.
The spinal cord patient could not utterly cured and recovered but it is an attempt to enable them to stand on their feet, he reasoned. A patient losses bowl bladder and sexually paralyzed after he is suffered. “A patient of spinal cord injury is similar to 100 of patients as he or she is deprived of walking or meeting other necessities” he opined.
Mr Ilyas bravely said the Paraplegic Center is the sole institution across the country which meet all the requirements of patients inside the center. We do follow-up of graduates till six months and they are being facilitated in terms of searching jobs, vocational trainings, school admissions, construction of bathrooms so that they could independently contribute in society, he stated.
