Inter-marriages: Rare disease causes family of 8 to lose sight
Babies are normal at birth, and the symptoms appear by the age of seven.
Radiologist Dr Saad, who accompanied the Express team, opined that the disease could have been a result of inter-marriages in the family. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
A family of eight, living in Goth Niaz Malah of Sindh, is suffering from a rare disease. Small blisters appear on the hands and feet, gradually affecting the eye. The patient, eventually, loses the eyesight, fingers and toes.
Talking to the Express News, the family said that the babies are normal at birth, and the symptoms appear by the age of seven.
An affected family member, Abdul Majeed, complained that despite repeated attempts to seek help he could not meet the officer concerned as “the officer’s peon turns me away at the door every time, telling me that my feet would infect the office carpet.”
Radiologist Dr Saad, who accompanied the Express team, opined that the disease could have been a result of inter-marriages in the family. He added that the condition was a genetic problem and continued to pass on to generations.
Chairman of the Pakistan Relief Foundation Haleem Adil Shaikh lamented that the health department failed to help the family.
“The health department officials could have used the zakat or other charity funds to help the affected families,” he added. “At least, the officials should have visited them, examined them and provided them with some sort of treatment.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 19th, 2013.
A family of eight, living in Goth Niaz Malah of Sindh, is suffering from a rare disease. Small blisters appear on the hands and feet, gradually affecting the eye. The patient, eventually, loses the eyesight, fingers and toes.
Talking to the Express News, the family said that the babies are normal at birth, and the symptoms appear by the age of seven.
An affected family member, Abdul Majeed, complained that despite repeated attempts to seek help he could not meet the officer concerned as “the officer’s peon turns me away at the door every time, telling me that my feet would infect the office carpet.”
Radiologist Dr Saad, who accompanied the Express team, opined that the disease could have been a result of inter-marriages in the family. He added that the condition was a genetic problem and continued to pass on to generations.
Chairman of the Pakistan Relief Foundation Haleem Adil Shaikh lamented that the health department failed to help the family.
“The health department officials could have used the zakat or other charity funds to help the affected families,” he added. “At least, the officials should have visited them, examined them and provided them with some sort of treatment.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 19th, 2013.