Bhutanese patient Karma set to return home tomorrow after recovery

Karma Dema, the first patient to receive treatment in Bangladesh on a medical visa, is returning home to Bhutan tomorrow (1 April) after a successful surgery, Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen said.

The minister on Sunday said Dema and her brother will depart on a Drukair-Royal Bhutan Airlines flight at 9:00 am on Monday. 

Karma, a college student from Bhutan, underwent a nine-hour nose reconstruction surgery at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. Following a period of observation to ensure a full recovery, she has now been discharged from the hospital.

Despite the relief of being cured of nasal cavity cancer, Dema struggled with the structural damage to her nose caused by complications from radiotherapy. However, the surgeons at Tata Memorial Hospital in India, where the 23-year-old girl from Bhutan went for cancer treatment, were unable to repair her damaged nose even after two surgeries.

Subsequently, Dema sought treatment in Bangladesh, becoming the first foreign patient to do so on a medical visa.

On 9 January, three teams of plastic surgeons at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery collaborated to perform the nose reconstruction surgery on Dema. The entire procedure was supervised by Dr Samanta Lal, the chief coordinator of the institute at the time.

"This successful treatment marks a significant achievement for Bangladesh's healthcare sector," said Minister Samanta Lal Sen. "We are now poised to expand healthcare services and technology to other SAARC nations, such as Nepal and the Maldives." 

On 25 September 2023, a 14-member team of plastic surgeons, led by Dr Samanta Lal, travelled to Bhutan and initiated a seven-day plastic surgery camp in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, in honour of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

During the camp, Bangladeshi surgeons completed 16 complex plastic surgeries. It was during this camp that Dema's family brought her for nose reconstruction surgery through plastic surgery.

As there is no plastic surgery department in Bhutan, Bangladeshi surgeons invited her to come to Bangladesh. Later on 14 December last year, she and one of her brothers came to Bangladesh for treatment and were admitted to the aforesaid hospital. 

Karma Dema has received treatment with support from both the Bhutanese and Bangladeshi governments.