Multan: After spending more than 12 years on a ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Nishtar Hospital, Muhammad Asad passed away, at the age of about 27, bringing to an end one of the longest and most extraordinary battles for life witnessed by the hospital.
Asad’s life changed forever in January 2014 when a devastating road accident left him with a severe spinal cord injury. Though conscious, he was completely paralysed and unable to move. Breathing complications forced doctors to place him on a ventilator. Despite receiving treatment at private hospitals and in Lahore, tragedy struck again when he fell from the stairs at his home, worsening his condition.
In March 2014, he was admitted to Nishtar Hospital’s ICU. What began as a medical admission gradually became a story of compassion, resilience and humanity. For more than 12 years, doctors, nurses and paramedics cared for Asad not merely as a patient but as a member of their own family.
According to ICU In-charge Dr. Shahab Khakwani, NMU VC, Prof. Dr. Mehnaz Khakwani and Medical Superintendent Rao Amjad Ali Khan, the hospital staff went far beyond the call of duty to ensure his comfort and dignity. They celebrated his birthdays inside the ICU, stood by him through countless difficult days and continued caring for him with unwavering dedication despite the limitations of available resources.
After an extraordinary struggle that spanned over a decade, Muhammad Asad breathed his last, leaving behind a story that is not only about pain and endurance but also about the enduring compassion of healthcare workers who refused to let him fight alone. His life and the devotion of those who cared for him will remain a touching reminder that medicine is sustained not only by science, but also by humanity.