Sushma Swaraj throws lifeline to Lahore toddler for heart surgery in Noida

After running from pillar to post for a medical visa for his baby’s treatment in India, a tweet by Kanwal Saadik of Lahore caught the eye of external affairs of minister Sushma Swaraj who promptly ordered visas for the Pakistani family.

Just a month after India said it will consider medical visas for Pakistani patients only if the application is backed by a recommendation from Pakistan Prime Minister’s foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj cut the red tape to help a Pakistani infant get medical treatment.

A four-month-old Pakistan baby with a hole in his heart will be treated in a top Noida hospital from Monday after external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj ordered that the family from Lahore be given visas to travel to India.(Twitter)

The parents of four-month-old Rohaan, a congenital heart patient, were facing difficulty in procuring a medical visa for his treatment in India due to the strained relationship between two countries. The family lives in Lahore.

However, Rohaan will be visiting India on Monday Sushma Swaraj intervened in the case and arranged visa for the Pakistani family.

He will be treated first by a paediatric cardiologist for a hole in his heart and will later undergo a heart surgery at Noida-based Jaypee Hospital. The doctors at Jaypee confirmed that the family will arrive on Monday.

“We are thankful to the minister for ensuring that the family gets the visa at the earliest. Keeping aside the tensions between the two countries, the minister did a noble act of thinking about the child’s health. We, at Jaypee Hospital welcome the baby and family,” said Dr Manoj Luthra, CEO, Jaypee Hospital.

It was a tweet of a distressed father which caught the attention of Swaraj who promptly assured him of help to treat his son. Rohaan’s father Kanwal Saadik took to twitter on May 24 after trying all possible help to procure visas for the family.

On May 31, Swaraj replied to the request, assuring that Rohaan won’t be a victim to the strained relationship between two countries.

“No. The child will not suffer. Pls contact Indian High Commission in Pakistan. We will give the medical visa ,” said Swaraj on Twitter.