On my feet: Healed children offer a ray of hope at clubfoot carnival

The carnival was organised by the Indus Hospital to mark the third anniversary of its Clubfoot Clinic

KARACHI: A large number of children, who can now walk on their feet instead of their ankles, participated in the carnival organised at the Indus Hospital to celebrate the third anniversary of its first-ever Clubfoot Clinic in Pakistan on Friday.

Showing off their walk, these children gave hope and inspiration to the mothers and fathers whose children are undergoing treatment at the moment.

The country’s first clubfoot clinic was set up in 2011 at Indus Hospital. Around 600 children have been treated at the clinic. The patients are mostly from Karachi but, according to the clinic’s officials, some of them come from outside the city.



According to senior orthopaedic doctor, Prof Mansoor Ali Khan, there are 40 such clinics across Pakistan. “Five such clinics serve the affected children in Karachi alone,” he said.

Talking about clubfeet, Khan was of the view that there was no particular cause of the disease. According to him, one out of every 1,000 children is born with the deformity. “With proper treatment, a child can survive and live a normal life within four years,” he said. “But clinical consultation goes on for some more years.”

Khan said that it is better to bring a child with clubfeet soon after birth. “We also treat children up to five years of age,” he said.

Four-year-old Ayan Hussain, who was among the first few children treated at the clinic, had everyone’s eyes on him as he ran from one place to another. “He is almost fine and can run like a normal child,” said his excited father, Ashfaq Hussain. Ayan’s left foot was rotated internally at the ankle. According to Ashfaq, it was not very difficult to look after a child with this particular disease.

A number of children were brought at the carnival held to mark the third anniversary of Clubfoot Clinic at Indus Hospital on Friday. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS

“I brought my child here when he was just four days old,” said the mother of another child with clubfeet, Riyan. “Both of his feet were affected.” She said that the child wore the clinical shoes for almost 12 months. “I don’t know the reason of the disease,” she said. “I haven’t seen a single child [with the deformity] in my entire family.”

Abdul Rehman’s mother, Madiha, brings him to the clinic every alternative week from Khudabad Colony. “He is almost normal and plays games like a normal child,” she said. Her husband, Mohammad Moeez, believed that his child was born with the disease because of Madiha’s blood deficiency. “She had blood deficiency at the time of delivery,” he said. “But doctors say there is no cause of the disease.”

Jalal Ahmed, hailing from Korangi, said that his six-month-old daughter, Ayesha, is quite fine after treatment. “I have to visit the clinic until she is completely fine,” he said, adding that he has four other children who are all normal.

Another child, eight-month-old Shayan, had come with his father, Badshah. According to Badshah, he brings his child after every three weeks to the clinic. “I have been visiting the hospital for the last five months,” he said. “My son has almost recovered.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11^th, 2015.