Dad in plea to save son’s sight
A Bahraini boy may completely lose his eyesight if no immediate medical intervention is done. The six-year-old suffers from partial visual impairment caused by a child’s play three years ago.
Doctors advise that Khalid Mohammed must undergo an urgent corneal implant surgery to save his eye.
The boy’s father, Mohammed Ali, told Tribune that Khalid completely lost vision in his left eye two years ago itself.
According to Mohammed, this happened in Riffa while the boy was playing with their neighbour’s son. The boy apparently threw a stone at Khalid, hitting directly in his right eye and causing him this permanent disability.
“I rushed him to the military hospital and we were informed that he must undergo several urgent surgeries, including primary globe repair and valve implantation,” Mohammed said.
He explained that the other boy’s father, the neighbour, apologised for the unintentional injury and pledged to bear 50 per cent of his treatment cost.
However, Mohammed said the neighbour only paid him BD500 twice throughout the past three years and eventually asked to be excused from bearing this additional financial burden, claiming that he’s incapable of it.
“Since Khalid’s injury, I have taken a total of BD27,000 in loans from different banks to pay for his treatment. I have touched my borrowing limit,” Mohammed said while he described his agony.
The father said that the amount was spent on visits to ophthalmologists in private hospitals here and abroad, explaining that that he had taken his son to India for treatment last year and that they stayed there for six months.
When asked if he approached the High Committee of Oversees Treatment in Health Ministry for assistance, Mohammed said, “I have applied once for assistance from the committee. I was informed that my son’s file was lost and that I have to apply again when I visited them a second time to check on our request. I was disappointed and decided to bear the costs of my son’s treatment abroad all by myself (BD10,000), fearing that his condition might deteriorate as warned by doctors.”
Tribune obtained copies of medical reports issued in India. The reports mentioned that Khalid suffers from post-traumatic glaucoma, disorganised anterior chamber of the eye and that further retinal and corneal surgery is required to relocate an intraocular lens that was previously implanted.
Mohammed said, “Ophthalmologists advised that Khalid should undergo a corneal implantation surgery at the earliest, as the injury began affecting the other eye and may cause gradual loss of vision. His eye pressure isn’t stable and we have to go to the private patients’ clinic at the military hospital every three-four days for treatment.”
“The cost of the surgery is estimated to be between BD2,000-BD3,000. I have approached several charities here and I was promised to receive assistance to raise the needed funds for the surgery. We have collected around BD200 since Tuesday,” Mohammed added. Khalid is the eldest among his three siblings.
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