Dhaka: A Bangladeshi known as the “Tree Man” because of bark-like growths on his body said on Monday he wanted his hands amputated to relieve him of unbearable pain.
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Abul Bajandar has had 25 operations since 2016 to remove growths from his hands and feet caused by a rare syndrome.
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Doctors had believed they had beaten the disease but Bajandar fled a Dhaka clinic in May last year following a relapse.
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The 28-year-old father of one was readmitted to hospital in January because the condition worsened, with some growths several inches long.
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“I cannot bear the pain anymore. I can’t sleep at night. I asked the doctors to cut off my hands so I can at least get some relief,” he told AFP.
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His mother, Amina Bibi, supported the plea. “At least he will be free of pain. It’s a hellish condition,” she told AFP.
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Bajander suffers from epidermodysplasia verruciformis, a rare genetic condition also known as “tree man syndrome”.
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Bajandar said he wanted to go abroad for better treatment, but he does not have the money to cover the expenses.
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Samanta Lal Sen, the chief plastic surgeon at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said a board of seven doctors will discuss Bajandar’s condition on Tuesday.
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“He gave his personal opinion. But we will do whatever is the best solution for him,” said Sen.
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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promised free treatment for Bajandar after his plight made national and international headlines.
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Bajander lived in the hospital’s private wing for nearly two years during his first round of treatment.
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Fewer than half a dozen people around the world are believed to have the syndrome.
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The hospital also treated a young Bangladeshi girl suffering from the condition in 2017.
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Doctors declared her surgery a success, but her father later said the growths had returned in even greater numbers and the family halted the treatment and returned to their village.
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