Bangladeshi 'Tree Man' dreams of cure as rare skin disease returns with growth in new parts of body
Dhaka, Jan 22: A Bangladeshi dubbed "Tree Man" because of bark-like growths on his skin will need aggressive surgery to remove them, doctors said Tuesday, after dozens of attempts failed to cure the extremely rare genetic condition.
It is believed fewer than half a dozen people worldwide have "tree-man syndrome" - epidermodysplasia verruciformis - but the condition is particularly aggressive in Abul Bajandar, who has already undergone 25 bouts of surgery since 2016 to remove the greenish-grey gnarled protuberances from his skin.
The former rickshaw puller, whose case has made headlines around the world, has not worked in years because the growths have left him unable to use his hands.
More than once, doctors believed the 28-year-old was cured, hailing their treatment as a milestone in medical history.
But the growths kept returning.
The former rickshaw puller has been unable to work in years because the growths on his hands.
Most recently, in May, the condition flared up on parts of his body previously spared and he fled the Dhaka Medical College Hospital without notifying staff.
"The growths have sprouted even in new parts of my feet and hands. I made a mistake leaving the hospital, but I hope doctors will be able to cure me fully this time," Bajandar told AFP on Monday.
Once-optimistic doctors concede his case is more complicated than previously thought, and are considering treatment options.
More tests have been ordered and an emergency panel of doctors convened but Bajandar is almost certainly facing a 26th round of invasive surgery to cut away the growths, his medical team said.
"His condition has deteriorated, and I think more surgeries will be required," Samanta Lal Sen, the head plastic surgeon at the hospital, said.
The condition has left Bajandar's family - he has a wife and young daughter - destitute and he is treated free of charge by doctors at the hospital, which is the top medical facility in the Bangladeshi capital.
His plight has captured hearts around the world, and the government has ordered he receive the best care.
Despite the rarity of his condition, he is not alone in Bangladesh.
The same Dhaka hospital also treated a young Bangladeshi girl suffering from the condition in 2017.
Doctors also declared that surgery a success but her father later said the growths returned in even greater numbers. The family halted treatment and returned to their village.
Bajandar does not want to return home, and is desperate for a cure.
"I have received love of the countrymen and our prime minister," he said. "I strongly believe someday I will be able to live like a normal man.
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Indian mobile hospital treats over 2,200 cyclone-hit people as New Delhi ramps up relief efforts in
Colombo (PTI): A mobile hospital set up by India in Sri Lanka has provided medical care to over 2,200 people affected by Cyclone Ditwah, as New Delhi ramped up its assistance to the flood-ravaged island nation with engineering support and delivery of fresh relief consignments, the Indian mission here said on Sunday.
Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse triggered by the cyclone, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country's disaster-response capacity.
At least 627 people have been killed and 190 remain missing as of Sunday noon due to catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16.
Sharing a social media post by the Ministry of External Affairs on its X handle, the Indian High Commission said a field hospital set up by India in Mahiyanganaya near Kandy has provided medical care to more than 2,200 people affected by the cyclone since December 5.
The hospital has also performed 67 minor procedures and three surgeries, it said. The field hospital was airlifted to Sri Lanka by an IAF C-17 aircraft along with a 78-member Indian medical team on Tuesday.
In another post, the mission said Indian Army engineers, working with Sri Lanka Army Engineers and the Road Development Authority, in Kilinochchi have begun removing a damaged bridge on the Paranthan–Karachchi–Mullaitivu (A35) road, a key route disrupted by the cyclone.
"This joint effort marks another step toward restoring vital connectivity for affected communities," it said.
India has additionally sent nearly 1,000 tonnes of food items and clothing contributed by the people of Tamil Nadu. Of these, about 300 tonnes reached Colombo on Sunday morning aboard three Indian Naval ships.
High Commissioner Santosh Jha handed over the supplies to Sri Lankan Minister for Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe.
India, on November 28, launched 'Operation Sagar Bandhu', a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) initiative, to aid Sri Lanka in its recovery from the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Since the launch of the operation, India has provided about 58 tonnes of relief material, including dry rations, tents, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, essential cloths, water purification kits and about 4.5 tonnes of medicines and surgical equipment, the Indian mission said in a press release on Sunday.
Another 60 tonnes of equipment, including generators, inflatable rescue boats, Outboard Motors, and excavators, have also been brought to Sri Lanka, it said, adding that 185 tonnes of Bailey Bridge units were airlifted to restore critical connectivity along with 44 engineers.
Two columns of the National Disaster Response Force, comprising 80 experts and K9 units with specially trained dogs, assisted with immediate rescue and relief efforts in Sri Lanka.
Besides the field hospital in Mahiyanganaya, medical centres have also been set up in the badly hit Ja-Ela region and in Negombo. INS Vikrant, INS Udaygiri, and INS Sukanya provided immediate rescue and relief assistance to Sri Lanka.
Apart from the two Chetak helicopters deployed from INS Vikrant, two heavy-lift, MI-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force are actively involved in evacuations and airlifting relief material, the release said.
At the request of the Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre, a virtual meeting was organised between DMC and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s National Remote Sensing Centre on Saturday.
Since the onset of the disaster, ISRO has been providing maps to assist DMC in its rescue efforts, the release said.
