ISLAMABAD: The first batch of Afghan children with congenital heart diseases (CHD) arrived on Friday at the Torkham border from Kabul to receive medical treatment in Pakistan.
The CHD-affected children arrived at the Torkham border along with their parents.
The children and their families were received by Chairman Pak Afghan Cooperation Forum Habib Ullah Khan and Chairman Alkhidmat Foundation Dr. Hafeez ur Rehman and a team of doctors from the University of Lahore.
Besides heads of PACF and Alkhidmat Foundation, Director PACF Waqar Maroof, cardiologist Dr Abdul Malik and Director AKF Sufyan Ahmed Khan were also present from Pakistan side.
From Afghan side, Molvi Khalid and Hafeez ur Rehman of Afghan Red Crescent were present.
The ailing children were later shifted to Lahore where they would be treated free of cost.
According to Afghan Red Crescent, around 6,000 Afghan children with CHD are waiting for the treatment. More than 1,000 have been registered since the beginning of 2021 and are waiting to be treated inside or outside the country.
The congenital heart diseases are present at birth and can affect the structure of a baby’s heart and the way it works. They can affect how blood flows through the heart and out to the rest of the body.
