Govt directs medical care for Hasan Sadpara

Mountaineer hospitalised with mysterious disease

GILGIT: The government has directed the provision of the best medical care for renowned mountaineer Hasan Sadpara.

Sadpara, who is among the three Pakistanis to have summited Mount Everest, has been critically ill for the past two months and was admitted to a private hospital in Rawalpindi recently.

The 54-year-old climber had suddenly taken ill with a mysterious disease around two months ago and doctors have yet to determine his affliction.

Having already spent large sums of money on his treatment, his family has all but abandoned the thought of seeking treatment abroad.

“At the moment he is bedridden and unable to speak,” said Arif Hussain, Sadpara’s elder son who lives in Islamabad for his education. “He has fever which persists till date,” Hussain told The Express Tribune over phone on Saturday. He is currently being treated at a private hospital (Ahmed Medical Complex) in Rawalpindi.

Later on Saturday, Minister of State for Information Maryam Aurangzeb directed provision of best medical facilities for Sadpara, Radio Pakistan reported.

On the directions of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Aurangzeb sent a bouquet to the mountaineer. He is the first Pakistani to have climbed six 8,000 meter peaks, including the Everest (8,848m) and K-2 (8,611m). He was also awarded the Tamgha-e-Imtaiz for his feats.

Sadpara whose real name is Hassan Asad, hails from the small village of Sadpara, around seven kilometres from Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan. He has three sons and a daughter.

“It has been two weeks since his treatment started but no one from the government has inquired about his treatment,” said Hussain. He said samples have been sent to the laboratory for tests and the results are awaited.

Hussain appealed to the government to provide financial assistance for the man who was once called  the ‘Pride of Pakistan’.

Sadpara serves as a trainer in the G-B police – a job he was offered by government in recognition of his achievement of scaling Mount Everest in 2011.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2016.