Famous five: Gwadar couple blessed with quintuplets

Doctors say three of the newborns in critical condition.

KARACHI: A couple from Balochistan was blessed with five newborns — three girls and two boys — early Friday morning, informed doctors at Darul Sehat Hospital in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.

The 32-year-old mother, Waheeda, is in stable condition but three of her babies are fighting for their lives.

"The mother gave birth to premature babies [26 weeks] in a normal delivery," said consultant paediatrician Dr Shireen Qasim. "One of the girls and both the boys weigh 0.6 kilogrammes each whereas the remaining girls weigh 0.7kg and 0.8kg."

The doctor said the mother may be discharged in a few days after receiving necessary treatment but the babies are likely to be kept in incubators at the hospital's nursery for two to four weeks as they are in a critical condition due to underdeveloped body organs, especially the lungs.

The hospital is currently bearing all medical expenses of the family, which hails from Gwadar, Balochistan, informed the hospital's chief medical officer Dr Sharjeel Hussain. He said the patient was admitted to the hospital on May 6.

Helping hand

The father of the quintuplets, Javed, is a labourer by profession. Talking to The Express Tribune in the hospital lobby, he said, "It is a blessing to have five babies but, on the other hand, their birth is a matter of tension as I don't earn more than Rs200 to Rs300 a day." He requested the government for a stipend to help raise his children and also appealed that he be provided a government job to secure his children's future.

The father said they knew his wife was expecting five babies as they had visited a free ultrasound camp in Gwadar. He said doctors in Gwadar had advised him to go to Karachi for the delivery.

Waheeda has given birth after a gap of five years, said Javed, adding that prior to the quintuplets they have a son.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2016.