RAWALPINDI, Mar 03 (APP):Surgeons at Al-Shifa Trust(AST) Eye Hospital have removed a large congenital eye tumour from a six-year-old Somali girl, eliminating the risk of the growth spreading to her brain after years of unsuccessful treatment abroad, hospital officials said on Tuesday.
The child, Nimoh, was born with a tumour affecting one eye. Her family sought medical assistance in several countries but were unable to secure definitive treatment. By the time she arrived in Rawalpindi, prolonged irritation had aggravated the condition and doctors determined that vision in the affected eye had been permanently lost.
Head of the Oculoplastics Department, Dr Tayyab Afgani, said the tumour had continued to expand and posed a serious threat to the child’s life.
“Removing the mass was essential to prevent further spread and potentially fatal complications,” he said, adding that the immediate danger had now been averted.
A multidisciplinary team performed the complex surgery, carefully operating around sensitive nerves and blood vessels. The procedure was completed without major complications, and the patient remains under post-operative observation.
Dr Afgani said such cases highlight the consequences of delayed access to specialised medical care. Citing the World Health Organization, he noted that at least 2.2 billion people globally live with some form of vision impairment, most of them in low- and middle-income countries where specialist services are limited. In parts of South Asia and Africa, untreated childhood eye conditions remain a leading cause of preventable blindness.
Hospital officials said the family approached Al-Shifa Trust after learning about its ocular oncology services. The non-profit network provides treatment to a large proportion of patients free of charge through donor funding, with around 80 per cent receiving care at no cost.
Doctors said Nimoh is recovering well and will continue follow-up treatment in the coming weeks, marking the first sustained medical breakthrough for her family after years of uncertainty.