Myanmar unrest’s child victim on way to Dhaka for better treatment

Bangla Press Desk:    A child critically injured by firing from across the border amid Myanmar’s ongoing unrest is being transported to Dhaka from Chattogram for advanced treatment.

As of Tuesday morning, the physical condition of Huzaifa Afnan, 9, remained critical at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), said the hospital’s director Brig Gen Taslim Uddin.

As a result, around 11am, the assigned medical board decided to immediately transfer her to the National Institute of Neuroscience and Hospital (NINH) in Agargaon, Dhaka, Taslim Uddin added.

Prof Harun ur Rashid, chief at ICU of CMCH, told reporters that the bullet remains inside Huzaifa’s brain, and could not be extracted at the hospital due to the high risks of excessive bleeding.

A section of her skull has been surgically severed and kept at a different place to reduce tension and pressure in the head, Prof Harun ur Rashid said terming the operation an established medical procedure.

Earlier on Tuesday morning, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Myanmar Ambassador U Kyaw Soe Moe, asking his government to take full responsibility of the illegal firing from across the border.

The ministry also demanded that Myanmar authorities pre-empt any repetition of the incident, and ensure that the country’s internal conflict does not affect Bangladeshis.

The Myanmar envoy assured of cooperation in this regard.

Huzaifa Afnan Ara, daughter of Jashim Uddin, suffered critical injuries around 9am on Sunday when a bullet hit her on the head at Whykong in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar district.

By evening, she was admitted to CMCH, where she was put under life support.

BP/SP