Veteran singer Alamgir set to leave for Atlanta for kidney removal

Published May 23, 2015
Alamgir hopes to recover from this surgery within six months — Photo courtesy Coke Studio
Alamgir hopes to recover from this surgery within six months — Photo courtesy Coke Studio

Veteran singer Alamgir has been battling polycystic kidney disease for years and is ready to take the next step towards relief from the pain he has long suffered.

Alamgir is about to leave for Atlanta, where his kidneys will be removed as a preliminary procedure for his kidney transplant next year.

Also read: Alamgir: Ailing pop star sings at media event

The surgery is expected to take place in mid-June at Atlanta's Emory Hospital, which is "one of the best in America," said Alamgir to Dawn.com.

"Once I arrive, I'll undergo lots of tests, so my doctors are sure that I'll be able to tolerate the long surgery," he added.

Typically, a third kidney can be fitted in without the removal of the existing kidneys, but Alamgir's are so enlarged that there is no room for the third, he said. He added to Dawn.com that he finds it hard to breathe due to this reason.

It will take Alamgir five to six months to heal after the surgery, after which he will return to Pakistan to wait out the interval before his transplant.

Responding to a question about his treatment funding, Alamgir said that the government hasn't fully made good on its promise to donate for his kidney transplant. "They had promised me 50 lakhs, but I only got 20. It's been three years since 2012 (when I received the first donation) and there has been no follow-up. I managed to raise the remaining money through my own hard work."

Opinion

Editorial

Missing justice
Updated 15 Jan, 2025

Missing justice

SC must at least ensure missing persons cases are heard with the urgency they deserve.
Racist talk
15 Jan, 2025

Racist talk

WHEN racist tropes are amplified by the expansive reach of social media, the affected communities face real-world...
Faceless customs
15 Jan, 2025

Faceless customs

THE launch of the faceless customs assessment system as part of the government’s Tax Transformation Plan is a...
Left behind
Updated 14 Jan, 2025

Left behind

Pakistan’s education statistics threaten to leave us behind in the global knowledge economy.
Mining tragedies
14 Jan, 2025

Mining tragedies

TWO recent deadly mining tragedies in Balochistan have once again exposed the hazardous nature of work in this...
Winter sports
14 Jan, 2025

Winter sports

FOR a country with huge winter sports potential, events in Pakistan are few and far between. Therefore, the start of...