Now, Kashmir’s pellet victims slip into despair, hopelessness

Now, Kashmir’s pellet victims slip into despair, hopelessness

    
ZEHRU NISSA
Srinagar, Publish Date: Dec 23 2016 10:18PM | Updated Date: Dec 23 2016 10:18PM
In a waiting room outside an Operation Theatre at general specialty SMHS hospital here, Bashir Ahmad sits silent; his back leaning against the wall, waiting eagerly for his turn to be called in. The room is packed with boys, hit by pellets in their eyes—some of them as young as 12. All of them had reached the hospital on Thursday to undergo surgical procedures in their injured eye for ‘a chance’ to regain their vision.

“It will be my third surgery today. But I can’t see anything beyond a shadow in front of my injured eye,” sighs Ahmad.

Hailing from Krehshore area in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, Ahmad had completed his graduation and got admission in a diploma course in a government institute this year
when he was hit by deadly pellets in his left eye on August 28 following clashes between protestors and forces.

“After my second surgery I had regained some vision but then I lost it again,” says 23-year old Ahmad.

Confined to home for almost four months now, he says he often loses his calm.

“After the incident life has been such a tough struggle. I don’t know what will happen. This thought is more killing,” he says, and takes a deep breath.

This despair expressed by the Budgam boy is written on the face of every youth who has turned up for yet another surgery in their pellet hit eye (s) due to little or no improvement in
their vision.

A team of surgeons at Ophthalmology Department, joined by world renowned vitreo-retina surgeon Dr S Natrajan, have performed a number of vitrectomies since Thursday. But with
each passing day and after repeated surgical procedures “not yielding amazing visual outcomes”, these pellet-hit youth are slipping into despair and hopelessness.

One such case is Firdous Ahmad from Mazbugh Sopore who lost vision in both eyes after being hit by pellets on July 15. He has undergone two surgeries in his left eye and one
surgery in his right. “I regained some vision but it faded away then,” says Firdous, who was writhing in pain after the latest surgery in his left eye.

“I can only distinguish the colors of my clothes and that too with great struggle,” says Firdous who used to drive a passenger auto to earn for the family including aged parents and
three young siblings. Blinded, Firdous’s movement has now got confined to his home.

“At times he cries and says that he wants to run away,” says Asif Ahmad, cousin of Firdous, who was accompanying him. “Till few months back Firdous would not only take care of his
parents but earn for schooling and fulfilling other needs of his two brothers and a sister. The reality that he is now dependent on family for entire life depresses him beyond
imagination.”

But unlike Firdous, Fayaz Ahmad, a truck driver, seems to have resigned to the fate that he might not be able to see with his injured eye again. “Today was my fourth surgery but
there is hardly any improvement,” says Fayaz, lying on a bed in Ward No 7. That he can’t go back to resume his work worries Fayaz.

“A week ago I went along with some laborers to try and earn few bucks but I ended up with infection and high pressure in my eye and had to be hospitalized,” recalls Fayaz.

Commenting on the condition of the injured persons, Dr Natarajan said: “We are facing the challenge of post vitrectomy adhesions in which the tissues in the eye during the natural
process of healing get heaped up and form a lump over visual area which worsens situation after some progress in the eye.”

He said there was the problem of adhesion faced in at least 20 percent cases. “It is frustrating…there is a new challenge each time. A doctor might say operation is successful but it
doesn’t translate into vision each time,” said Dr Natarajan.

A senior doctor, who is part of the surgical team, said badly damaged eyes need multiple surgical procedures before they start responding to treatment. “These (persons) who we have
been examining/operating for past two days have all badly damaged eyes and need repeated vitrectomies,” said the doctor.

He said 11 such cases were operated upon yesterday and 25 others on Friday. “Except for one injured who has been operated upon since yesterday, all have positively responded and
have in fact gained vision which would improve over a period of time,” said the doctor.