Ahmed said: “In war-torn countries, such injuries are common. Blasts and gunshots are a way of life. Many such victims come to India because local hospitals do not offer specialised treatment. I was referred to Delhi by my doctor in Baghdad.”

Ahmed has been fully cured after a month in the Apollo hospital. His friends and family pooled in the Rs 3.5 lakh that was needed for the surgery. “I ran a small business in Baghdad. After the incident, I was in and out of hospital all the time. My business suffered as a consequence. But I could pay the amount required to make me walk again, that too without the limp,” he said.

He is naturally thrilled. “My family will be too once they see me,” Ahmed said, before he turned to thank his doctors.