Spinal surgery planned for airlifted patient

Specialist doctors at the Rawalpindi District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) have decided to perform surgery on a 40-year-old woman, who was shifted to the government medical facility from Mianwali on Sunday through the country’s first air ambulance service for ordinary citizens after she fell from a roof, resulting in spinal cord injuries.

The complex surgical procedure was planned for Tuesday (today) after Halima Bibi underwent detailed examinations and necessary tests at the Rawalpindi DHQ.

Halima Bibi, who was shifted to the ICU, was examined on Monday by Professor Ashraf Mehmood, Head of the Neurosurgery Department, along with Dr Nadeem Akhtar, other surgeons, and Medical Superintendent Dr Farzana Zafar. They reviewed her CT scan and other tests, determining that her sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae were broken and her spinal cord was damaged due to the fall. She has been subjected to cervical traction in preparation for surgery.

A team of neurosurgeons, under the supervision of Professor Ashraf Mehmood, will perform the operation, with all preparations completed. Initial treatment was provided at Mianwali DHQ, but doctors recommended transferring her to a larger government healthcare facility with expert doctors in general surgery, neurosurgery and orthopaedics.