NEW DELHI/BANGALORE, 16 July 2003 — The successful heart surgery undergone by Pakistani baby Noor Fatima yesterday symbolized the opening of yet another crucial bond of warmth and love shared by the people of India and Pakistan. Within a few days of her arrival by the Delhi-Lahore bus, the little child has become famous as the “apple of everybody’s eyes.”
Not surprisingly, as Noor underwent the six-hour operation at the privately-run Narayana Hrudayalaya hospital near Bangalore the streets of the city were lined with children carrying placards reading, “Get Well Soon.” The day was marked by strangers thronging the hospital with flowers for Noor’s parents.
“I am overwhelmed by the hospitality I got... We are feeling at home even though we are 4,000 kilometers away,” said her father, Nadeem Sajjad.
“Throughout the day we received telephone calls from unknown Indians who told us they were praying for our kid. We have been bombarded with good wishes, greeting cards and flowers for the last two days,” he added.
Nevertheless, waiting for the six-hour operation to be over spelt a challenging time for Sajjad and his wife Tayyeba. “It was a tough time for us,” he said, brought to an end when the doctor came out “with a smiling face.”
A three-member team, headed by cardiac surgeon Dr. Ramesh Sharma, performed the operation successfully and said that the condition of the child was “satisfactory.” She will be kept in the Intensive Thoracic Unit (ITU) for a few days. Delighted at the operation being successful, Tayyeba said: “The greatest news for us is that my baby has got a new life and she will now live a healthy life.” She plans to take her child to see the Taj Mahal as soon as she recovers.
Sajjad and Tayyeba were struck by emotional warmth for them from the Indian community having surpassed religious barriers. “So many Indians prayed for us and I do not know who was a Hindu or who was a Muslim,” Sajjad said.
What perhaps is more important is that the occasion signals yet another step forward in the attempts being made to normalize Indo-Pak ties. “I will carry the message of friendship. We need to live in peace in South Asia,” Sajjad said.
Cardiac surgeon Devi Shetty said about Noor’s operation, “The kid had four abnormalities in her heart, which included two large holes and defective valves. The operation was successful and all the holes have been plugged and now the baby has a happy heart as it has responded well to the surgery.”
The cost of heart surgery at Hrudayalaya facility is $2,600, half the amount charged by other Indian hospitals. Incidentally, Karnataka government offered $200 for Fatima’s treatment. On this Sajjad said, “Thank God we did not need the money that was offered to us. But we think the money can be used to fund a trust to treat poor children of both countries.”
While the warmth displayed signals a major change in the longing for peace and friendship by people on both sides of the border, the two governments still have a lot to accomplish. Though the bus service has been resumed, train and air-services remain stalled.
— Additional input from Agencies
