Doctors in Dubai have saved an 18-month-old child's life after removing a large pin that was lodged for weeks in a critical airway.
A team at Zulekha Hospital found the rusty 3.5cm pin in Dewan Ahmad's left main bronchus, a vital airway to the lung, following a chest X-ray.
The doctors removed the pin with a 30-minute operation called a bronchoscopy.
It could have been catastrophic
Dr Khaldoon Dakka,
specialist thoracic surgeon, Zulekha Hospital, Dubai
“It was a life-threatening situation,” specialist thoracic surgeon Dr Khaldoon Dakka told The National.
“For a baby, his trachea is only maybe 4cm and this pin took up most of the space so he could not breathe.
“The constant irritation when the tip touched the airway caused him to cough. It could have been catastrophic.
“If the pin had gone undetected longer it could have pierced through the wall, damaged the lung, heart and blood vessels.”
The child swallowed the pin about two weeks before being taken to hospital on December 30.
Doctors said he had a lucky escape as the rounded head was embedded in the airway, not the pointed tip.
“Fortunately for this child, it was not the tip of the pin that was stuck as that would have pierced further, kept moving and gone deeper,” Dr Dakka said.
“We really don’t know how he was able to swallow such a long pin.”
Worsening condition
Dewan’s family initially gave him medication for an infection due to a persistent cough.
It was when the coughing worsened, he could not sleep, began vomiting and could not breathe that the child was taken to hospital.
A CT scan showed the exact position of the pin, which was removed under general anaesthesia.
Dewan was also diagnosed with pneumonia because of an infection from the rusty object. He was discharged earlier this month.
Farheen Ahmad, Dewan’s mother, thanked the doctors and nurses for saving her child’s life.
“I don’t know what would happen if this was not found in time,” she said.
“My child was saved by the prompt diagnosis of the problem and the emergency procedure to remove the pin.”
Cautionary tale
Dr Suni Akbar, the specialist paediatrician who recommended the chest X-ray, urged parents to keep small objects out of reach of children.
“Children must never be given coins or toys with magnets that can be removed easily,” he said.
“These foreign objects can cause a child to choke and can even lead to death.”
Dr Akbar said parents should watch babies carefully as they put anything in their mouths.
“Take care not to drop things on the floor, avoid giving them nuts and hard candies and ensure grapes are always cut into small pieces,” he said.
Dewan was among the youngest to be operated on by doctors at the hospital for ingesting such an object.
Dr Dakka said children as old as 11 have been admitted for swallowing needles.
“Whatever you can think of we have removed from children,” he said.
“We manage many such cases but this was one of the most serious because he is a baby and there could have been much greater harm.”
Dr Dakka has previously removed peanuts, elastic bands, aluminium tin lids, parts of pencils and magnets.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
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Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
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Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
