Wagha, July 18
Six-year-old Pakistani boy, Afnan bin Iqbal, suffering from a head injury may get a fresh lease of life as doctors in Karachi have referred him to Apollo Hospital in New Delhi.

Talking to The Tribune, Hamira Iqbal, Iqbal’s mother, said the resumption of the Delhi-Lahore bus service had turned out to be a boon for Pakistanis as they could get expert medical advice from super-speciality hospitals in India.

She said she had been awaiting the resumption of rail, road and air traffic between the two countries so that she could consult top neurologists of India for her son’s treatment. She said he had suffered a serious head injury as he had fallen from the second floor some months ago. The doctors attending on him had referred him for expert advice and she thought India would be the best bet for medical services. She hoped that like Noor Fatima, Iqbal would be cured.

The Pakistan trade delegation which was here on a two-week tour of India also expressed satisfaction over the medical facilities in India. Mr Jamil Ahmad Mugoon said they had visited the multi-speciality Escort Hospital here and found world-class health services. They hoped that Pakistanis could avail of these facilities which were not only economical but also comparable to the best in the world. Indian doctors were highly qualified, they said.

The delegation was impressed by naturopathy and ayurvedic treatment of chronic diseases.

Begum Fatima Khan said she had been to Bangalore several times for her chronic health problems. She said with the resumption of the bus service, Pakistanis would be crossing over to India to avail of the medical facilities.