Tortured Larkana student undergoes successful surgery in US

LARKANA: Teenage torture victim Mohammad Ahmed underwent a successful operation at a private hospital in the United States on Tuesday.

Ahmed, who was a student of Larkana Cadet College, was rendered mute and paralysed due to alleged torture by a teacher in November last year.

According to his father Ghuullam Ahmed, doctors operated on Ahmed’s respiratory tract. Ahmed had complained of breathing problems after the incident.

He underwent an operation earlier in which doctors fixed his broken respiratory tract. Doctors have asked him to visit again after three weeks for a medical check-up.

After being strangulated, Ahmed, 14, broke sensitive bones of his neck. He lost his speech and suffered a paralytic attack which left his limbs motionless. He was kept on a liquid diet as he could neither digest nor chew solid food.

Ahmed's father, a teacher, had said that a few teachers from his school were responsible for bringing his son to this state. "On August 6 just after school reopened after summer vacations I received a phone call from station master GM Bhatti saying that my son had suffered fits."

He claimed that when he reached the school his son was covered with injuries on his face, chest, head, back and lower limbs.

After failing to get satisfactory treatment from doctors in Larkana he came to Karachi where health experts pointed out that the condition had been caused due to assault.

Ahmed was brought late November to the Jinnah Post Graduate Medical College (JPMC) for medical examination by a board of doctors. The board declared that Ahmed’s throat had been broken at several places, and advised to send him abroad for further treatment.

Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah in November approved the treatment of the torture victim, and directed the health department to make necessary travel arrangements for Ahmed and his father.

Ahmed reached the United States for medical treatment at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Ohio on February 16.