'Love-sick' US woman diagnosed with bipolar disorder

KARACHI:

Onija Andrew Robbins, a 35-year-old American woman who travelled to the metropolis driven by her love for a 19-year-old Pakistani man, has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder apart from other health issues.

Robbins - who refuses to return to the United States without Nidal Ahmed Memon, a resident of Garden West, who she claims to have married online via International Utah website - is currently admitted to the Special Ward of JPMC. She is undergoing continuous medical evaluations and tests by a team of doctors.

Robbins, mother of two, has been given an extension after her three months visit visa expired, while Nidal and his family have been hiding since the American woman caught the media's attention in Karachi.

According to JPMC's medical staff, Robbins has been receiving treatment for bipolar disorder, a condition she is also managing in the United States. During her medical tests at JPMC, it was revealed that her hemoglobin levels were dangerously low, triggering the need for two blood transfusions. Moreover, liver issues were identified, which are being closely monitored.

Prof Chooni Lal, head of the Dept of Psychiatry at JPMC, told The Express Tribune that Robbins underwent a series of tests, confirming both psychological and physical health issues. She was initially admitted to the Psychiatric Ward, but was later transferred to the Special Ward under police custody due to overcrowding in the psychiatric facility.