Dubai: A bullet that was lodged in a Somali woman's body for three years was finally removed at Dubai Hospital.
Farhiya Abdullah, 25, a mother of five children, was shot in the left side of the upper chest in Mogadishu during the civil war.
"Rebels opened fire near my home, and one bullet hit me. I fell to the ground and was taken to hospital. Doctors cleaned the wound and closed it, saying no bullet had entered my body. I was told it was a superficial wound which would heal quickly," Farhiya told Gulf News from her hospital bed.
"But I had doubts, I was quite sure there was a bullet in my body even though doctors said there wasn't one. I felt even though there might be a bullet, it would disintegrate and vanish in time," she said.
A few months later she started feeling pain. "It would come and go and I thought it was part of the healing process. I did not pay much attention to the pain," the woman said. But for the past few months the pain became unbearable. She had difficulty moving her left arm and could not lift objects.
Cost of treatment
Farhiya was a housewife in Somalia and her husband has a small business. Money was tight and she could not afford treatment. "I have seven brothers and sisters, two of whom live in Sharjah. My siblings told me to come to the UAE and get myself treated." However, Farhiya was confused because she did not have the money to travel and pay for medical expenses.
"My family rallied behind me and within a few weeks, they managed to raise funds," she said.
Farhiya came here three weeks ago and was admitted to Dubai Hospital. Tests revealed that a bullet had entered her upper chest and with time it moved to her under arm. Doctors said it was very close to her lungs.
"The bullet caused an infection, and she was complaining of severe pain. We had to treat her for the infection before we could operate," said Dr Mustafa Fawzi Ahmad, cardio thoracic surgeon at Dubai Hospital.
"The woman was fortunate because we needed only to make a small incision to remove the bullet which was lodged half a centimetre deep. The bullet was 12 millimetres," Dr Fawzi said.
The hospital had to inform Dubai Police because the woman had a bullet wound. Farhiya is due to be released from hospital soon and will then fly back to Somalia. "I would love to live and work in the UAE because I love the country," Farhiya said with a smile. "You can always escape from a bullet or hunger, but you cannot escape pain," she said.
