Huzaifa on life support at NINS

The nine-year-old girl from Cox’s Bazar who was struck by a stray bullet fired from Myanmar on Sunday has been placed on life support at the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital (NINS) in Dhaka.

She is under observation at the ICU, said Humayun Kabir Himu, an associate professor at NINS, and her uncle, Shawkat Ali.

Huzaifa Afnan, a class-3 student from Teschi Bridge of Whykong union, was shot during clashes between Arakan Army and Rohingya armed groups inside Myanmar.

She was taken to CMCH and later shifted to NINS after doctors failed to remove the bullet lodged in her throat. The bullet remained stuck in her throat, but she suffered a stroke as it damaged the veins that supply blood to the brain. This also increased pressure on her brain, and she was put on mechanical ventilation (life support), said doctors.

She is very young and is showing some response -- two positive signs -- but nothing can be said for certain at this stage, Humayun said. The next procedure may be carried out once the pressure on her brain eases, he added.

A board led by NINS Director Kazi Gias Uddin Ahmed is overseeing her treatment. No decision has yet been taken about sending her abroad for better treatment.

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