Khokon Chandra Barman, who sustained severe facial injuries after being shot during last year’s Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, is being sent to Russia for advanced medical treatment, the Ministry of Health has announced.
Khokon was shot in front of Jatrabari police station on the afternoon of August 5, 2023, causing extensive damage to his face, bones, upper lip, gums, nose, and palate.
Due to the complexity of his condition, medical institutions in Bangladesh and several other countries expressed their inability to perform the necessary reconstructive surgery.
However, after extensive efforts, the University Clinic of Lomonosov Hospital in Moscow — which specializes in such procedures — agreed to take on the challenge, the ministry said.
According to Mohammad Shahadat Hossain, senior information officer at the Ministry of Health, Khokon will be flown to Moscow via Qatar Airways at 4:30am on February 21, accompanied by Russian-trained surgeon Dr Mahmudul Hasan.
Initially, doctors will conduct a pre-evaluation and create a 3D model using advanced animation technology to reconstruct his face.
The primary surgery is expected to take place on or around March 20.
As part of its ongoing efforts to treat those injured in the July protests, the Ministry of Health has already sent 38 individuals to Singapore and Thailand for specialized treatment. Three of them have since returned.
The process of sending more critically injured individuals abroad is ongoing based on recommendations from medical experts.
Additionally, the ministry has provided free medical services to over 14,000 injured students and civilians in various hospitals across Bangladesh.
Foreign specialists from Thailand, China, the UK, France, the US, and Singapore have also treated over 1,000 injured individuals and performed surgeries in some cases.
