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First international medical visa patient in Bangladesh

Karma Dema endured structural damage to her nose as a result of radiation difficulties, even though she was relieved to be cured of nasal cavity cancer. Despite two operations, the doctors and nurses at Tata Memorial Hospital in India, where the 23-year-old Bhutanese girl sought cancer treatment, were unable to fix her broken nose.

Following that, Karma pursued medical treatment in Bangladesh and became the first international patient to do so under a medical visa.

Thankfully, the result was favourable. After a successful rhinoplasty procedure, she is ready to return to her home country.

Plastic surgeons from three different teams at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Operation joined forces to perform a nine-hour operation to repair Karma Dema's nose. Health Minister Dr. Samanta Lal Sen, who served as the institution's principal coordinator, then oversaw the whole operation.

Doctors have seen a substantial improvement in Karma's nasal anatomy. She is anticipated to have an additional minor surgical procedure within three to six months.

She is now undergoing therapy at a burn institute cabin. She landed in Bangladesh for medical treatment on December 14th.

Karma Dema is the only female offspring in her family and has two male siblings. Her father is a soldier in Bhutan, while her older brother is employed in the food service industry. She received a cancer diagnosis some years ago. Nevertheless, the family had difficulties meeting Karma's medical expenditures, leading them to request aid from the Bhutanese government.

Karma has had therapy with assistance from the governments of Bhutan and Bangladesh. Earlier, she had medical care in India with the assistance of the governments of India and Bhutan.

Karma Phuntho, the older sibling, told The Business Standard, "My sister's condition has shown remarkable improvement. The therapy is being carried out via collaboration between the governments of Bhutan and Bangladesh, and we are not paying any costs.

He expressed his utmost satisfaction with the care and services offered by Bangladesh. She previously had medical therapy in India for one and a half years, commencing in 2020.

 

Dr Hasib Rahman, an associate professor at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Procedure and the head of one of the three surgical teams, told TBS that soft tissue was placed on her nose during the procedure. Although an additional procedure will be required, it will be insignificant in scale.

"The procedure we conducted was intricate." According to him, she had two surgeries in India, but unfortunately, they did not provide the desired outcome.

"The surgery we performed was intricate." "He provided further details, stating that despite undergoing two surgeries in India, they were unsuccessful."

He further said that comparable nasal repair procedures have been previously conducted in Bangladesh. Nevertheless, Karma's situation is noteworthy since she is a foreign patient.

 

What brought Karma Dema to Bangladesh?

Dr Samanta Lal Sen headed a team of 14 plastic surgery professionals that flew to Bhutan on September 25, 2023. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the administrations of both nations launched a week-long cosmetic surgery camp in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.

Throughout the programme, Bangladeshi surgeons successfully performed 16 intricate plastic procedures. During this camp, Karma Dema's family arranged for her to have rhinoplasty, a cosmetic surgery, to repair her nose.

According to Dr Hasib Rahman, Bhutan has no section dedicated to plastic surgery. We extended an invitation for her to visit Bangladesh. Subsequently, she and one of her siblings arrived in Bangladesh for medical care.

 

Foreign patients will increase: Health minister

According to Health Minister Dr. Samanta Lal Sen, it is common for Bangladeshi people to seek medical care in other countries. Nevertheless, this Bhutanese patient is the first to seek medical care in Bangladesh on a medical visa. Our physicians have diligently worked to restore her well-being, and we look forward to accommodating other international patients in the future.

He said, “Recently, the Nepalese ambassador approached me, and I offered them the same opportunity." We are ready to coordinate a medical camp in Nepal, mirroring our previous efforts in Bhutan. If there are patients in critical condition, they have the option to transfer them to our facility.

The health minister will provide specific information on the medical care given to Karma Dema at a news conference scheduled for Saturday.