A five-year-old Maldivian boy has returned home after successfully battling a complex genetic disorder at Amrita Hospital, Kochi. The child, who was undergoing treatment for Acute Intermittent Porphyria, a rare metabolic disorder, regained his health after three months of intensive medical care.

The child was admitted to Amrita Hospital on December 13 with severe health complications following a surgical procedure in Maldives. His condition was critical, involving acute encephalopathy with recurrent seizures affecting the brain, and flaccid paralysis of the body. He also required a tracheostomy to assist with breathing. He has been given Inj. Hemin, an expensive medicine after emergency import.

A specialist medical team led by Dr. Vinayan K. P., Dr. Vaishakh Anand, and Dr. Azmi Habeeb from the Department of Pediatric Neurology, along with Dr. Sajith Kesavan from the Department of Pediatric Intensive Care, managed the treatment. Through the coordinated efforts of various departments, the child’s condition improved significantly, and the tracheostomy was eventually removed. Currently, the child is breathing independently and is able to consume food normally.

Doctors stated that the child’s health is stable and he is fit for travel by commercial flight. The family has been advised to continue physiotherapy and remain under medical observation at a local facility upon returning to the Maldives. 

Discharged on March 11, the young boy has returned back to the Maldives, marking a hopeful recovery from a near-fatal medical crisis.