Punjab; “Nai Zindagi Program” activated for acid attack victims

The Punjab government has activated the “New Life Program” for acid attack victims.

The wounds on the face and body of the people who are prone to acid attacks, especially women, may be healed, but their lives are ruined. Acid-affected people need multiple surgeries, but government agencies discharge patients after initial treatment and then these patients stumble for reconstructive surgery.

The Punjab government has now activated the new life program under which as many surgeries as the affected person needs will be done.

35-year-old Samia Shahid is a resident of Liaquatabad Lahore and a mother of 3 children. Acid was thrown on Samia Shahid in May 2021 when she was going to the doctor along with her husband. 2 The accused motorcyclists threw acid on her face but the acid fell on her arm instead of her face, injuring her arm and leg while her husband’s back.

Talking to Express, Samia Shahid said that the accused was her landlord who wanted to befriend her, but on her constant refusal, he threw acid on her. He was initially treated at Lahore General Hospital, later the doctors said that the wound had worsened, so the arm would have to be amputated, but he refused. Later he underwent surgery with the help of an NGO that works for the treatment of acid attack victims, now the wounds on his arm are healed but more surgery is required as the scars are quite obvious and the pain starts in winters. .

According to experts, acid attack victims need more than one surgery. Sometimes 8 to 10 surgeries are required. A surgery costs about 60 to 70 thousand rupees and these expenses have to be borne by the affected person and his family. Reconstruction surgery is not included in the provision of free treatment in government hospitals by the government.

Insurance companies operating in Pakistan do not cover plastic surgery in their health policies. According to the policy of insurance companies, reconstructive surgery is considered as plastic surgery and it has nothing to do with human health and life.

In 2020, the Punjab government had launched a plan to treat burn victims in acid attacks and other accidents under the name of Nai Zindagi Program. According to the Punjab Social Protection Authority, an amount of Rs 100 million was released for this programme, which established burn units in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan.

Initially, Rs 2 million was released for each burn unit. Punjab Social Protection Authority Chairperson Jahan Ara Vito while talking to Express said that currently 28 patients are registered who are being treated. He said that the new life program has been started for the treatment of acid attack victims. The affected persons will be fully treated, but the family of the affected person will also be provided with legal and financial support.

Speaking to Express, regional head of Smile Again Foundation, Farwa Toqeer, said that the victims of acid attack should first go to a government hospital because in criminal cases, an FIR and a report from the government hospital are required. After that, the reconstructive surgery of these patients is done by the Smile Again Foundation.

He said that the foundation performs reconstructive surgery on 100 patients every year. A surgery costs about 60 to 70 thousand rupees. Surgery is done with special discounts from various private hospitals. According to Farwa Tawkir, 36 new patients have been registered from January to June this year.

Professor Dr. Kamran Khalid, chief executive of the burn center built at Jinnah Hospital in Lahore, said that 35 patients are currently being treated at the Jinnah Burn Center. A female patient has been under treatment for the past 5 years and has undergone multiple surgeries. He said that under the new life program, all the surgeries required to bring the different parts of a patient’s body back to the closest to the original shape will be done free of charge.

He said that the same bar surgery is not possible for different parts of the body. A gap of at least 3 to 4 months is necessary between one surgery and another.