Kottayam: He will be amidst toys, the cartoon characters he loves the most and pictures of elephants, which have been neatly pasted on the walls of the room where he sleeps. He will sleep in a spacious bed and move about in a remote-control car inside the hospital premises.
In his new home on the fifth floor of Al Azhar Medical College in Thodupuzha, Shafeeq, the six-year-old battered child is getting his childhood back with colorful toys and all modern amenities around him. After three months of his second stage of treatment at CMC Vellore, Shafeeq, was brought back to Idukki on Monday. Two rooms with elaborate arrangements have been allocated to Shafeeq and his care-giver, Ragini, at the hospital.
The Child Welfare Committee, Idukki, has entrusted the hospital with the foster care of Shafeeq, said its district chairman, P.G.Gopalakrishnan. Earlier, the child was brought to Al Azhar Medical College hospital on Monday by around 11.30 am. He was carried by Ragini and was received by children holding colourful balloons, at the hospital. A function was held in which Social Welfare Minister M.K.Muneer, Water Resources Minister P.J.Joseph and MLA Roshi Augustin participated.
The child was admitted for his second stage of treatment at CMC Vellore, on March 10. He was discharged after four months. However, he is yet to recover from brain damage and may suffer memory loss, say doctors at CMC.
Dr George Tharian, who treated Shafeeq at Vellore said since he had suffered considerable brain damage, it would be very difficult for him to return to a normal state. “He has made moderate improvement in all realms, be it in speaking and identifying people or objects. He can stand on his own and walk a little with the support of others. However, we are yet to ascertain whether he has suffered memory loss due to his brain injury”, Dr George Tharian added.
He said the child would have to return to CMC after six months for stage-three treatment. The next focus will be on improving his mobility, the doctor said.
