A 14-year-old girl whose kidneys stopped functioning six years back and who also lost hearing in both ears is now waiting to rejoin school.
In this period, Warisha Khan underwent a kidney transplant, a cochlear implant in her right ear and also cataract removal. Doctors have indicated to the family that if all goes well, she may be allowed to return to school in a few months.
Warisha was a resident of Bihar's Bhabua district when she fell ill. Her father then took a job in Calcutta and the family, including the child's mother and elder brother, shifted to the city.
"We realised that she would get better treatment in Calcutta and shifted base," said Asjad Khan, Warisha's father.
The girl used to undergo dialysis for five years since 2017, when tests revealed that her kidneys had failed.
"We did not have the resources to go for a kidney transplant. By the time we gathered money, she developed a heart ailment. She could not undergo a kidney transplant unless the condition of her heart improved. It took about three years to improve the condition of her heart," said Asjad.
The treatment, the insertion of channels in the body, the frequent visits to hospitals for dialysis, the accompanying pain and the fear of contracting infection made it impossible for the child to go to school.
Adding to Warisha's and her family's woes, cataract developed in both her eyes and those had to be removed. It was in October 2022 that she underwent a kidney transplant. Warisha's mother, Farhana, gave her a kidney.
In June this year, she underwent a cochlear implant.
Despite all the odds, the 14-year-old retains a sense of humour and the will to again go to school.
"When I could not hear, my parents used to repeat every sentence twice or thrice so that I could read their lips. This habit has remained with them even after my cochlear implant. I have to tell them now that I can hear what they are saying," the girl said as the audience burst into laughter at the Calcutta Medical Research Institute (CMRI) on Tuesday.
Warisha was among many others who have been treated at the hospital and spoke about their experiences to celebrate the 54th year of the hospital.
Nine-year-old Annesha Ghosh fell from the ninth floor of an apartment in Maheshtala. She was unconscious for 19 days and went back home after 61 days in the hospital. Annesha now leads a normal life. She only limps a bit.
"Doctors have said she is recovering well," her father said.
The stories of grit, determination and the will to carry on against the odds came from the patients and their doctors.
Some of the doctors also spoke about how advanced methods of surgeries are benefiting patients.
Avik Bhattacharya, the head of interventional radiology, spoke about pinhole surgery conducted on a woman who had uterine fibroid. "We did a pin-hole surgery. We targeted the fibroids that were bleeding and destroyed them," he said.
Earlier, when open surgeries were peformed, the uterus and ovary were removed, Bhattacharya said. The removal led to multiple side-effects.
