Ayesha - a new symbol of hope in India-Pakistan ties

KOLKATA - A seven-year-old Pakistani girl from Karachi underwent a heart bypass surgery in Kolkata Monday, becoming a new and latest symbol of hope between people of the two countries.

Ayesha Ahmed is keeping fine after the operation with the doctors saying she will be able to lead a near normal life in future. Ayesha was admitted last week at the Rabindranath Tagore Institute of Cardiac Science (RTICS) here with a blockage in the artery, which connects the lungs and the heart.

“We have done the operation and Ayesha will be able to lead a near normal life. She had a blockage in the artery, which connects the lungs with the heart. We have operated it and Ayesha is doing well,” said attending surgeon Biswajit Bandopadhyay.

Rotary Club of Calcutta Metropolitan (RCCM) and RTICS have provided all cost of the treatment and other expenses jointly.

“We are happy that we could provide Ayesha with new lease of life,” added Bandopadhyay.

Unable to get proper treatment in the Karachi hospitals, Ayesha’s parents contacted their relatives in India after they came to know about the advanced cardiac treatments available in this country.

“We are grateful to RTICS and RCCM for their generosity. Otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to treat our daughter. We were extremely happy when RCCM and RTICS told us to come to Kolkata without thinking of expenses,” said Rabia, Ayesha’s mother.

Ayesha and her family reached Kolkata last week and got Ayesha admitted.

“We are very happy with the way we are being treated. And it is really exciting to see how much love and respect we have for each other. The people who advocate terrorism don’t belong to any country or religion,” said Rabia.