Delhi multi-speciality hospital treats Afghan girl suffering from epileptic seizures

Girl, who had 67 fits a week, is fit now

Delhi multi-speciality hospital treats Afghan girl suffering from epileptic seizures

Geeta is back in her school and hopes to pass her senior secondary this year.

The 17-year-old was sitting in her school in Kabul on a hot day in 2002 when suddenly her face turned ugly and

when she regained consciousness some time later, life for the teenager had changed forever. After a detailed medical examination, the doctors diagnosed it as an epileptic seizure and then started a long haul of diagnostic tests and medicines.

After staying for a week in Pakistan, Geeta's family brought her to Delhi. They took her to Max Hospital in Saket.

"After conducting a series of tests on her, we treated her with a combination of anti-epileptic drugs and surgical intervention over a period of two years. Now, she is leading a normal life," said Dr Puneet Agarwal, Senior Consultant, Neurology, who treated Geeta. He told MiD DAY that Geeta was suffering from a rare structural abnormality of temporal lobe, a very rare condition.

At 24 years Geeta considers herself a "bit old" for resuming her school, but nevertheless she wants to complete her senior secondary. "I want to continue my studies, now. That has been my only passion," a beaming Geeta said, wearing a black headscarf. Fully fit now, Geeta comes to Delhi every six months for check-up.

TREATMENT COST

The Afghan girl's family had to spend huge sums of money on her treatment. It also involves the cost incurred on the visits for check-up every six months when Geeta comes to India every six months. The surgery costed around Rs 2.5 lakh and the whole treatment costs is about Rs 7 lakh.

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