Hospital waives treatment fees, arranges medical equipment for 2-year-old with breathing ailment

KOLKATA: Little Zeeshan has spent almost half of his life in the hospital — the longest duration being the last six months. Zeeshan, who can’t breathe without oxygen support beyond half an hour, could have gone back home two months ago if his parents could afford the medical equipment he needed at home.

On Wednesday, however, the boy — aged 2 years and 4 months — got his Christmas gift in advance. Playing Santa to him were doctors and nurses, who had treated him at the Institute of Child Health (ICH). He returned home with the life saving gifts, including a BIPAP, pulse oximeter, nebulizer, an oxygen concentrator and a promise to send him to AIIMS New Delhi for further treatment.

“The hospital did not only waive the treatment fee, but also gifted Zeeshan his lifeline. We are touched by this gesture,” said Israt Bano, his mother.

Zeeshan is suffering from non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, a condition in which his airways are severely dilated rendering him unable to breathe. He was admitted to ICH on June 15. His condition was so bad that he had to be treated for the first four months at the PICU (paediatric intensive care unit). His condition improved over time and he was shifted to the ward two months ago. “We had got him treated at least in three hospitals where doctors said that he had pneumonia. We finally brought him to ICH,” said Bano.

Zeeshan can play, walk, talk and eat on his own now. But he runs out of breath if he’s off mechanical oxygen supply for more than half an hour. Each time he would tell the doctors that he wanted to go back home and play with his elder brother. Doctors were worried because they knew that without oxygen supply the boy would die. That is when they started a fund drive so that they could send him back home.

“We used crowd funding, the CM’s Relief Fund and social media to collect funds,” said Prabhas Prasun Giri, in charge of PICU at ICH. Israt was also being trained on how to handle the BIPAP, the pulse oxymeter, the nebulizer and oxygen mask. Zeeshan’s father Mohammad Chand, a Toto driver in Konnagar, could only manage to pay a portion of the boy’s treatment fee. The ICH had waived Rs 2.5 lakh. “I am proud of what the medical team treating Zeeshan had done for the boy,” said Apurba Ghosh, director of ICH.