Wasim Akrams' wife critical: Emergency landing in Chennai

[StealthQL-707PK]

Get well soon, Huma InshAllah! We pray for your health.





Thank you, India !

[Sam Dhanraj]

Akram's wife suffers multiple- organ failure, condition critical
PTI 21 October 2009, 10:00pm IST

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram's wife Huma is said to be in critical condition at a Chennai hospital after she suffered a heart
attack while flying to Singapore for treatment on a air ambulance.

Family sources said that doctors at the Apollo hospital had said the next 48 hours were critical for Huma as she had also a kidney failure, for which she had to undergo dialysis.

"Her condition is not good at all and we can only pray for her recovery. Her vital organs have failed and she was put on a ventilator," one source said.

The source said that Huma had not been keeping well for sometime now and was advised to go to Singapore by Pakistani doctors.

"She suffered a heart attack on the plane when it stopped in Chennai for refueling, following which Huma was rushed to the hospital. The Indian doctors have been giving her the best treatment," the source said.

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[Khajur]

Originally Posted by indian_blues

Chennai is always pro-pakistan , I remember we cheered for afridi's century like we do for sachin and pakistan got a standing ovation for winning a test match here. Don't worry she will be fine.

its a stupid comment..as the incident never involved people of chennai in any way.That fast clearance was issued by the officers of Civil aviation and foreign office sitting in New Delhi.

Well, we have to admit Wasim Akram's celebrity status and as well known figure in india, played some role...otherwise things may not have been that fast.

Thank god they let them enter. Quite unexpected from these days.

There are many patients of pakistan still coming to india for treatment "even in these days".


PS:pakistan cricketers are popular in india...and they used to recieve much adulation whenever they win a competitive match aganist us, in days when relations werent exactly as hostile as today.

[Khajur]

Originally Posted by Sam Dhanraj

Akram's wife suffers multiple- organ failure, condition critical
PTI 21 October 2009, 10:00pm IST

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram's wife Huma is said to be in critical condition at a Chennai hospital after she suffered a heart
attack while flying to Singapore for treatment on a air ambulance.

Family sources said that doctors at the Apollo hospital had said the next 48 hours were critical for Huma as she had also a kidney failure, for which she had to undergo dialysis.

"Her condition is not good at all and we can only pray for her recovery. Her vital organs have failed and she was put on a ventilator," one source said.

The source said that Huma had not been keeping well for sometime now and was advised to go to Singapore by Pakistani doctors.

"She suffered a heart attack on the plane when it stopped in Chennai for refueling, following which Huma was rushed to the hospital. The Indian doctors have been giving her the best treatment," the source said.

************************************************** **********

Its a sad thing to hear...i can only pray for her recovery .

[garibnawaz]

I am quite amused and surprised to see some of the posts here.

India has always welcomed Pakistani citizens when they come to India for medical treatments.

The reason most Pakistani's come to India is becuase the better medical facilities at cheap rates compared to ME,Europe and Amercias.

Before Imran Khan opened the cancer hospital in Pakistan, a huge number of Pakistani's used to visit Mumbai's Tata Cancer hospital. They still do come but the number have now fallen.

Even as of today Pakistani's come to Mumbai and Delhi for medical treatments. Visa's are extended without any problems and there are also easier police verification processes.

Chennai is always pro-pakistan

Chennai appriciates good cricket. They also cheered for England after Mumbai attacks when they came to Chennai. Despite England lost to India they were cheered for coming back to India even after terror attacks.

GB

[indian_blues]

Originally Posted by Khajur

its a stupid comment..as the incident never involved people of chennai in any way.

It is you who took it in a stupid way , chennai nor the people are not hostile as pakistan friends here think and we support and help people wherever they are from the world by just giving two example from cricket for better understanding. Relax.

[garibnawaz]

Originally Posted by indian_blues

It is you who took it in a stupid way , chennai nor the people are not hostile as pakistan friends here think and we support and help people wherever they are from the world by just giving two example from cricket for better understanding. Relax.

Its mostly because Chennai never gone through the pains of partition, terrerism or the wars with Pakistan.

This is the exact reason why people in north and west of India are angry about Pakistan since they have gone through the pain of partition, experienced wars which involved them in some way and also suffered due to terror strike.

However had she (Wasim's wife) landed in any other city she would have got the same treatment. As I have mentioned in my earlier post, Indians have always welcomed Pakistani patients without any prejudice.

GB

[genmirajborgza786]

thanks madras

may she get well soon amin.

[Khajur]

Originally Posted by indian_blues

It is you who took it in a stupid way , chennai nor the people are not hostile as pakistan friends here think and we support and help people wherever they are from the world by just giving two example from cricket for better understanding. Relax.

Read ur comments again:

Chennai is always pro-pakistan

Always ?? and pro-pakistan ??

Cant blame me for ur wrong choice of words...

Its like saying chennai doesnt go through the same up & downs indo-pak relations experience from time to time, as if chennai is outside india and its people dont take avg indian feelings in to considerations .This is certainly not true and very wrong to assume.I'm sure people of chennai would vouch for me.

[FlyingEagle]

He is a famous personality. And also a consultanat to Knight Riders in T20. This will not show the reality of Indian's mind. If there was some person "xyz" got the same problem then it matters. Then we can discuss it as an honourable thing done my Indian government.

Now lets pray for her. She is a nice women, a psychiatrist. My family know Waseem. I had a telehonic conversation with Mr. Naeem Akram. She is still critical. Doctors are still unable to diagnose. She was not going for neuro surgery. Her vital signs were disturbed and doctors in Pakistan were unable to understand then they decided to go to singapur and on the way they got this poblem. Today by 3:00 PM in Pakistan they arranged a quran khani for her health.

[fryndfire]

Originally Posted by FlyingEagle

He is a famous personality. And also a consultanat to Knight Riders in T20. This will not show the reality of Indian's mind. If there was some person "xyz" got the same problem then it matters. Then we can discuss it as an honourable thing done my Indian government.

Now lets pray for her. She is a nice women, a psychiatrist. My family know Waseem. I had a telehonic conversation with Mr. Naeem Akram. She is still critical. Doctors are still unable to diagnose. She was not going for neuro surgery. Her vital signs were disturbed and doctors in Pakistan were unable to understand then they decided to go to singapur and on the way they got this poblem. Today by 3:00 PM in Pakistan they arranged a quran khani for her health.

indians have always treated pakistanis who come here in need of medical treatment regardless of their soical-economic status.

As the Delhi [ Images ]-Lahore bus carrying Baby Noor, her mother Tayyeba, father Nadeem Sajjad and other passengers rolled out of the Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar bus terminus at the Delhi Gate, the little girl wearing a big bamboo cap waved a tiny hand to say her goodbyes to the people gathered to see her off.

The cameramen jostled with each other to capture the moment for their newspapers and television networks -- it was a moment, many believe, that could bring India and Pakistan closer.

Also read: Pak girl to repair heart in India | Peace buses deliver loved ones | Little heart's alright

"I would be happy if Noor becomes a symbol of friendship between India and Pakistan," Nadeem Sajjad told rediff.com before boarding the bus for his return journey home.

Nadeem and Tayyeba patiently posed before flashing cameras and answered questions from reporters as other passengers looked admiringly at Noor, snug in her mother's lap.

"We had come to India with hope and we are now returning to our land with a healthy child. The love and affection that the people of India, the media in particular, has showered on us has been simply superb. There are no words to express our gratitude. We have got a 40 kg packet full of greeting cards...and email messages that we got during our stay in Bangalore while our darling went through the surgery and spent more then ten days in post-operative care unit.

Dr Rajesh [Sharma, who operated upon Noor] had been simply fabulous. We are indebted to the hospital authorities and the staff who took care of our daughter. We wish other children from Pakistan, who suffer from similar diseases of heart, can come and get operated upon in India," said Nadeem.

Residents of Lahore [ Images ], the couple is now looking forward to meeting their other two children Teheen Nadeem (6) and Mahrukh Nadeem (4).

"I have been missing my other two children and my family. I will wait till the evening to be with them," Tayyeba said shifting Noor from one arm to the other.

She thanked B D Jagdish, a well known painter from Bangalore, who did a special painting for her daughter.

"We are grateful to him for giving Noor a wonderful gift which depicts parents with a child, a heart and the flags of India and Pakistan. It was a touching moment for us," she recalled.

Baby Noor was born on December 5, 2000.

"Doctors told us that she had two holes in her heart. She was on medicines from day one but we had to wait till she grew up a little as surgery at that stage could have been dangerous. We spent a sleepless night the day before she was to be operated upon. She was crying for food in the middle of the night. But the doctors had told us that nothing was to be given to her.

It was tough on me but I had to do it. She knew nothing about the operation. But she withstood the operation very well. Allah ka shukar hai hamari bacchi theek ho gayee (Thank god, our daughter is fine now)," Tayyeba said.

Though the couple arrived with the child an hour before the scheduled departure of the bus, they did not have a moment to themselves. But then, Noor is a small celebrity now and the hopes of two countries ride on her tiny shoulders.

I-Day gift: Indian docs save life of Pakistani student
August 15th, 2008 - 12:50 pm ICT by IANS -
By Prashant K. Nanda
New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) At a time when tensions have flared up again between India and Pakistan, doctors in Delhi have saved the life of a young Pakistani engineering student by conducting a rare cardiac surgery. A team of 11 doctors and staff at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has repaired 20-year-old Tayyab Niaz’s mitral valve (that controls the blood flow between the upper and lower chamber of the heart) to save his life.

Doctors said the surgery was “rare, tedious and needs more patience”.

Tayyab Niaz underwent heart treatment in Pakistan two years back but the mitral valve was ruptured during the medical procedure. Pakistani doctors referred him here and we successfully repaired the damage. Now he is fine and ready to go home,” said Sujay Shad, the lead surgeon who carried out the surgery.

“We carried out detailed tests and conducted an open heart surgery over a period of 90 minutes Aug 1. He was in a difficult condition and without this treatment he may have died in the near future. This is an Independence Day gift,” Shad told IANS.

Niaz, a mechanical engineering student in Multan, had developed a faster than normal heartbeat and underwent a procedure named radio frequency ablation at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Karachi, two years ago.

A catheter (small tube) had got stuck inside the heart during the radio frequency ablation and at the time of extraction of this catheter his mitral valve got severely damaged.

“Due to this damage, his heart started growing big, which means more weakness and less life span,” Shad explained.

He said Niaz had two options - either to get operated in Pakistan where surgeons would have changed his mitral valve or come to India and get the valve repaired.

A change in valve would have meant lifelong medication, more expenditure and staying away from games like cricket and football. Shad said as Niaz was a cricket enthusiast he could not have afforded a replacement.

B.K. Rao, a veteran doctor and chairman of the hospital, said: “Heart valve repair is a more complex operation; it takes more time and more effort. However, the results of a successful valve repair are gratifying.”

Shad, who had been working in Britain till 2005, said a successful repair of the valve needs only a month’s medication. The treatment cost Niaz, the son of a businessman, a little over Rs.180,000.

“He underwent a check-up Aug 14 and everything is progressing fine. We have advised him three weeks’ rest and four weeks’ medication. After that he can lead a normal life like you and me,” he said.

Terming it as an Independence Day gift, Shad said: “Though Pakistan President Pervez Musharaff is speaking against India, we don’t see any difference between Indians and Pakistanis.”

“All people need love, affection and proper medical treatment. I don’t think the common man in Pakistan has any problem with India.”

Niaz, the son of a businessman, said though he has some pain in his chest even now, he is feeling much better. The doctors, staff and the people of Delhi are very nice, he said.

“I am taking back goodwill from India. Common people never hate Indians. I think it’s the politicians who create the problem

.


not only pakistanis but even americans flog to india for world class treatment at cheap rates.

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- "I was a walking time bomb. I knew I had to get on that plane if I wanted to be around to see my grandkids."


Sandra Giustina is rolled into surgery to correct her atrial fibrillation at Max Hospital in New Dehli, India.

1 of 2 Sandra Giustina is a 61-year-old uninsured American. For three years she saved her money in hopes of affording heart surgery to correct her atrial fibrillation. "They [U.S. hospitals] told me it would be about $175,000, and there was just no way could I come up with that," Giustina said.

So, with a little digging online, she found several high quality hospitals vying for her business, at a fraction of the U.S. cost. Within a month, she was on a plane from her home in Las Vegas, Nevada, to New Delhi, India. Surgeons at Max Hospital fixed her heart for "under $10,000 total, including travel."

Giustina is just one of millions around the world journeying outside their native land for medical treatment, a phenomenon known as "medical tourism." Experts say the trend in global health care has just begun. Next year alone, an estimated 6 million Americans will travel abroad for surgery, according to a 2008 Deloitte study. "Medical care in countries such as India, Thailand and Singapore can cost as little as 10 percent of the cost of comparable care in the United States," the report found.

Companies such as Los Angeles-based Planet Hospital are creating a niche in the service industry as medical travel planners. One guidebook says that more than 200 have sprung up in the last few years. "We find the best possible surgeons and deliver their service to patients safely, affordably and immediately," said Rudy Rupak, president of Planet Hospital. "No one should have to choose between an operation to save their life or going bankrupt."

Planet Hospital, which works with international clients as well as Americans, books patients' travel and arranges phone interviews with potential surgeons. Patients are greeted by a company representative at the airport in the country where they've chosen to be treated; a 24-hour personal "patient concierge" is also provided, a level of service that's standard among many of the top medical travel planning companies.
"Our patient concierge was amazing," said Giustina. "He came to the hospital every day, gave us his personal [telephone] number and after my operation, he arranged private tours of India." Just two days post-op, Giustina and her husband, Dino, toured local markets and landmarks including the Presidential Palace and the Taj Mahal.
"I was able to fix my heart and tour India, which is something I thought I'd never do."

Walk through a patient wing at Max Hospital in New Delhi on any given day and you're likely to see people from around the world. In one visit, CNN met patients from the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Jordan, Afghanistan and the United States. They're alike in choosing surgery abroad, but their reasons differ.

Many South Asians and Africans said they travel abroad because they do not have access to care in their homeland.

Some Canadians and Europeans said they chose to travel aboard, despite having national health plans, because they are tired of waiting -- sometimes years -- for treatment.

Patients from the Middle East said they come to India because the technology as well as the staff is more advanced.

For most Americans CNN spoke to, it came down to finding the best value. "If I could have afforded my procedure in the United States, I would have taken it, but that was not my option," Giustina said. "I had to get online and look for a Plan B." Read about hot destinations for medical tourism

The private hospitals in India market themselves as having upscale accommodations, Western-trained surgeons and state-of-the-art medical equipment.

CNN spent time at Max Healthcare in New Delhi and saw operating rooms similar to those in many U.S. hospitals. If fact, Max's neurosurgery room had an inter-operative MRI scanner, which is technology hardly seen at hospitals in the United States.

The lobby had marble floors, a book café, coffee station and a Subway sandwich shop. The patient suites were equipped with flat screen TVs, DVD players and Wi-Fi. This hospital also catered to families traveling together. The suites had adjoining rooms with a kitchenette, coffee maker and a sofa bed.

Max neurosurgeon Dr. Ajaya Jha said the hospital can provide high-quality care at low prices because the staff work hard to cut waste.
"I've seen hospitals in the U.S. where they open up something costing $10,000 and say, 'Oh it's not working. OK, give me another one.' We would never do that here. Even for 100 rupees (about $2) -- we would say, "Do we need to open this suture? Do we need to open this gauze?' We are very conscious of cost."

Hospital officials negotiate hard to keep costs low for high-tech medical machinery and other supplies, Jha said. "In the U.S. people are making careers out of carrying laptops and documenting things that are not really useful in the long term for the patient."

The salary of a U.S. surgeon is five times that of a surgeon in India. "We [surgeons in India] want to make a profit, but we don't want to profiteer. We don't want squeeze people and I think American industries should also think that way," Jha said.

Critics of medical tourism warn patients to be diligent when researching treatment aboard. "I've found that industry voices tend to crowd out those of us who are more cautious about the legal risks," said Nathan Cortez, assistant law professor at Southern Methodist University, who is conducting a case study investigating what legal recourse patients have outside America.

Patients don't think about their legal vulnerabilities, Cortez said. "Some countries limit patient access to medical records so they can't really learn what happened during the surgery. And a lot of practitioners in other countries just refuse to give you your medical records. So people have to weigh the risk versus benefits."
While most tourism patients from America are uninsured, major U.S. insurance companies are considering providing "medical tourism" coverage to their customers. Several have already launched pilot programs.

"I think what's really important about medical tourism is that you make the choice for what's right for you and what's important to them," said a spokesman for U.S. health insurer WellPoint Inc.

Experts say that every patient considering traveling abroad for surgery should inquire about postoperative care, legal rights and the safety standards and certifications of the hospital. Foreign health care providers should be willing to discuss the procedure and answer question ahead of time.


"What really helped me feel good about the process was that my doctor in the U.S. spoke to the cardiologist in India prior to my trip," said Giustina. "They were so open about everything; I knew I'd be in good hands."

Just weeks from returning from abroad, Giustina says she has only one regret, "I shouldn't have waited so long! I feel like a new person again, no more pain."

[vsdoc]

You guys will be surprised to know that CMC Vellore has a huge waiting list of cardiac patients from Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan ..... from extremely poor sections of society, and many if not most of the major operations (open heart valve surgeries and bypasses mainly) are highly subsidised (even by sub-continental cost standards) and often even free (sponsored by various trusts set-up mainly for these patients).

It is thus highly cynical to say that Wasim Akram's wife is getting VIP treatment because of his status as a cricketer. Doctors know no nationality, caste, religion, color, etc. When we open up a patient, he looks the same inside whether he is Hindu or Muslim, Indian or Pakistani. We take our Hippocratic Oath very seriously ..... its not just an ornament on our walls. Which is why I was really shocked to read in another thread about Taliban-affiliated doctors and their preferential treatment ethos.

Cheers, Doc

[FlyingEagle]

Its true many people get treatment in India but they went there by proper visa and after completing all the formalities. The problems they faced for getting this indian visa is a saperate topic and discussion. As she is a wife of a celebrty who is also famous in India now a days that is way they allow landing. This is bcoz of his PRs and nothing else.
Its better if we pray for her in this thread. She is a mother of two boy kids. They need her. So plz pray for her.

[garibnawaz]

Originally Posted by FlyingEagle

Its true many people get treatment in India but they went there by proper visa and after completing all the formalities. The problems they faced for getting this indian visa is a saperate topic and discussion. As she is a wife of a celebrty who is also famous in India now a days that is way they allow landing. This is bcoz of his PRs and nothing else.
Its better if we pray for her in this thread. She is a mother of two boy kids. They need her. So plz pray for her.

Waseem's celebraty status has nothing to do with this. There was an incident when a ship in Arabian Sea asked help as they were carrying a pregnant woman. The woman gave birth to the baby onboard IN's Sea-King helo. She was at the naval hospital in Mumbai before proceeding to her country.

Another women (Sri Lankan) gave birth to a baby onboard an Indian Navy vessel while they were evacuating Tsunami hit people.

Obviously none of them apply for a visa nor got any when there was an emergancy.

If we find you in a medical emergancy we will treat you without any Red Tape as well.

GB

[vsdoc]

Slightly OT, but continuing from my previous post, nowhere is the pull of opposing ideologies more starkly evident than in doctors in the armed forces. During the MOBC/MOJC, one is taught the finer nuances of being an officer and a gentleman, a fighting gentleman. One is caught up and steeped in the same indoctrination and fighting culture when posted as the one and only medical officer to field ambulance or forward areas like the valley / siachen / ladakh / rajasthan / NE etc. where you are often eyeball to eyeball with the enemy and you go on patrol with the men with more than just your sidearm ..... and you are supposed to use it to kill. Once that is over and you are back at your field OT/barracks MI room, you take off your helmet and put your stethoscope back on, often tending to the wounds of both your own men as well as those captured. Army doctors do it both, kill as well as heal, they do their duty and many die while doing so, and for that I salute and dedicate this post of mine to all my batch mates still serving, as well as to all other docs in our armed forces as well as others worldwide.

Cheers, Doc