Hope_still _livesWhen Tahmina was just 5 years old she experienced severe burns as she played near an unfastened lamp, while her mother was outside collecting dry wood. As her clothes caught fire she screamed out in fear and pain, causing her mother to run to her aid, but not before Tahmina had already been seriously harmed by the flames. Her burns were quite severe as her left axilla and the lateral aspect of the upper extremity were badly burnt. She was primarily treated at the Health Complex of Hatiya but over time the contracture over her left axilla had occurred and this hindered her ability to make movements.
The village doctors were consulted for immediate treatment, but due to the family’s circumstances no further treatment could be provided to young Tahmina. The eldest of 5 children, her family did not think they could afford the expenses of a journey from their village of Sonadiya in the district of Noakhali to a suitable location to get their daughter adequate post-burn treatment, as well as the cost of the necessary medical care and services.
Due to Tahmina’s physical inability, she always felt down as she was bullied by her friends at school. She was disheartened and did not wanted to continue going to school anymore.
A team of Friendship’s medical staffs made a thorough inspection of the inland households’, in search of information of patients who required plastic surgery. In the process, they came to know about Tahmina’s condition from a local shop in the bazaar (marketplace).
The team visited her home and counseled her parents. The parents came to know about Rongdhonu Friendship Hospital and the services offered by this hospital ship. The parents were very grateful as it was an unexpected event for them. The service provider themselves came to their home to enlist their daughter for her life changing operation. The team gave the parents a date and time to visit the medical in-charge of Rongdhonu Friendship Hospital (RFH) for the primary screening.
On the scheduled date, Tahmina arrived on board RFH with her parents. After registration, a specialist doctor assessed her and ran the necessary pathological tests according to her needs. Following the tests, she was selected for the operation and a date was also scheduled for the operation. She received the operation from the visiting foreign doctors’ team of Michael Schuringa. Due to the extent of the burns and issues of infection and skin necrosis she was instructed to remain in the post -operative beds in the tent for four days. During her stay with us, all the medications were supplied free from the RFH; while she also received physiotherapy so that she may resume the use of the burnt hand.
Tahmina is now well and is ecstatic to gain back the use of her hand. She now has the potential to go back to school and start helping around the house again. Her parents incurred no expenses apart from the fare they had to pay to reach our hospital ship. Tahmina along with her parents are grateful to Friendship for our support and wishes us all the best to continue our efforts.