Cross-border tension puts fate of Pakistani patients in a limbo

 The hostility between India and Pakistan notwithstanding, dozens of patients from the neighbouring country continue to visit hospitals in the capital for treatment.

TOI spoke to the heads of several hospitals, including Apollo, Fortis and Medanta Medicity, who confirmed that there were at least 30 patients still recuperating from treatment in their liver transplant and paediatric cardiac surgery units.

They, however, fear that followup and treatment would get difficult if the tension between the countries escalates. “I brought my brother for liver transplant at Apollo through the Wagah border on September 20. There was some delay in getting medical visa. If the situation gets any worse, it will become impossible to get here,” said Choudhary Safdar Mumtaz Sandhu, a resident of the Gujrat district in Pakistan’s Punjab province. He added that people of both the countries want peace and development, not war.

While Pakistan has facilities for treating common health ailments, super-specialty services such as liver and bone marrow transplant, and complex cardiac surgeries for children, haven’t been fully developed yet. Hence, patients rush to India for treatment, said doctors. According to Dr Subhash Gupta, senior liver transplant surgeon at Apollo Hospital, they get 12-14 patients for liver transplant from Pakistan every month. “I had visited Pakistan earlier to conduct trans- plants. But over the last few months, after tension started building, Pakistan has been dilly-dallying on the issue of giving visa to doctors. It is relatively easier for patients to get a medical visa,” he said.

Chairman of the Institute of Liver Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine at Medanta, Dr A S Soin, said that nearly 15% of all foreigners treated at their hospital are from Pakistan. “They come to India because the cost of treatment is lower compared to western countries and the quality is as good,” he said. Many hospitals here, sources said, have tie-ups with hospitals in Pakistan for referrals and Indian doctors hold health camps there.

“We do not have a separate wing for foreigners. Most patients come through the walk-in system,” said Dr D S Rana, chairman, board of management at Sir Ganga Ram Hospi- tal, adding that they usually got at least 20 patients a month from Pakistan but there have been no patients in the last two weeks.

“Apart from liver transplants, patients from Pakistan come for advanced cardiac surgeries in children like transposition of great vessels and multiple congenital heart defects with failure to thrive,” said Dr Ashok Seth, chairman of Fortis Escorts Heart Institute.