VIDEO: Malala discharged from hospital

By Sinead O'Carroll

Image: QEHB

04/01/13 8,402 Views 25 Comments

MALALA YOUSUFZAI WAS discharged from a UK hospital yesterday and will now be treated as an outpatient.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, where the 15-year-old had been recuperating from injuries received during a shooting in Pakistan, said she will continue her rehabilitation at her family’s temporary home in the West Midlands.

A statement issued today explained that the patient was “well enough” to to be treated by the hospital as an outpatient for the next few weeks.

Over the past couple of weeks Malala has been leaving the hospital on a regular basis on “home leave” to spend time with her father Ziauddin, mother Toorpekai and younger brothers, Khushal and Atul. During those visits assessments have been carried out by her medical team to ensure she can continue to make good progress outside the hospital.

She will be readmitted at the end of this month (or the beginning of February) to undergo cranial reconstructive surgery, a development made public just this week.

“Malala is a strong young woman and has worked hard with the people caring for her to make excellent progress in her recovery,” said Dr Dave Rosser, the medical director at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.

“Following discussions with Malala and her medical team, we decided that she would benefit from being at home with her parents and two brothers. She will return to the hospital as an outpatient and our Therapies team will continue to work with her at home to supervise her onward care.”

British Foreign Secretary William Hague tweeted: “Delighted Malala is well enough to leave hospital. The future Pakistan she dreams of is one we must support.”

The girls’ rights activist was brought to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham on 15 October after Taliban gunmen shot her in the head as she travelled on a school bus in the northwestern district of Swat.

Malala first rose to prominence in 2009, aged just 11, through her blog for the BBC Urdu service. In her posts, she described life in Swat during the bloody rule of the Taliban.

Her calls for improved education for girls attracted the attention of the Taliban, ultimately leading to the attempt on her life.

MORE: Teenage Pakistani activist shot by Taliban to remain in the UK

READ: Malala Yousafzai to receive Tipperary International Peace Award

Have feedback? Email the author

From the web

Comments (18 Comments)
Order: Popularity

- 3
- 173
lgmal1 04/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
What an inspiration to the world,hope she lives a long and meaningful life.

Reply
- 2
- 125
Paddy Dunphy 04/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
fair play to his girl, she has been through a lot and still has courage to stick to her beliefs, I’ll keep an eye on her future, i’m sure it will be bright

Reply
- 1
- 88
Dearbhla Ní Mhordha 04/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
When I was her age I protested about homework and curfews… What a girl!

Reply
- 1
- 83
Les Rock 04/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
Im 35 on Monday and she’s done more in her first few years than i ever have…an inspiration.

Reply
- - 4
  - 13
  Jamie Mccormack 05/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
  Happy birthday Les Rock.. I’ll be 38 next time round.. I think that this girl is going to inspire us all
- 2
- 80
funkyjoy77 04/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
So young and what a hero! An ambassador for her people!

Reply
- 0
- 40
caroline morley 04/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
Seen this brilliant young girl on the news such an inspiration to everyone, hope she lives a very happy and full life in England :)

Reply
- 5
- 113
Shirley Boshell 04/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
Such amazing courage from a 15 year old. Even after being shot by them she was determined to oppose the Taliban. I wish her a full and speedy recovery and hopefully a successful outcome to her mission in the near future. If only more of us (myself included) had her courage in defending our rights.

Reply
- 3
- 80
Liam Curran 04/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
Seen her walk unaided from her hospital bed gives true meaning to the saying ‘ that good will always overcome evil ‘ may she experience long life, happiness and personal joy .

Reply
- 0
- 32
ciaran clarke 04/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
Brave girl.
Such an inspiration.and to think she’s only 15.
Fair play.hope your homeland finds peace and equality.

Reply
- 1
- 44
Zartan 04/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
Wishing her a speedy recovery, her strength and courage are an example to the whole world. The future of Pakistan belongs to her and those like her, ordinary people looking for the basic rights we take for granted. The sick, evil organisation that tried to kill her will end up in the dustbin of history eventually.

Reply
- - 0
  - 10
  Jamie Mccormack 05/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
  I will gladly second that Zartan
- 2
- 47
Ellen Gough 04/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
poor thing looks medicated up to the nines! so glad she’s back on her feet, and hopefully her ordeal is going to have some meaningful results for girls in Afghanistan

Reply
- - 5
  - 8
  Adrian O'Donnell 05/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
  Pakistan. I’ll get my coat… :)
- 3
- 32
Brian O' Connor 04/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
Pakistan first, then India and finally Afghanistan, the sooner equal rights for everyone is achieved the better.

Reply
- 4
- 18
Selina Burrows 05/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
Goes to show how much easier we have it when this girl is shot for trying to get rights for people in her country.
The 14/15yr olds here arent worried about being shot more like why they didnt get an Ipad for Xmas

Reply
- 0
- 5
john doe 05/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
She is amazing :)

Reply
- 16
- 34
Liam Byrne 04/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
Coming from where she was living, to where she is now, is probably like being born again.

Reply
- 42
- 6
Maurice byrne 04/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
More palatable than images of bombed burning babies alright

Reply
- - 4
  - 29
  Katie O'Brien 05/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
  if i could red thumb this twice i could…
- - 3
  - 12
  John 05/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
  Where are you going with your pathetic comments? This is a story about a girl who was shot by the Taliban. What has it it to do with US drones which I presume is what you are alluding to? It is bad taste to troll on an article such as this one, get a life
- 31
- 4
Jackie Crowe 04/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
glad she is in uk,, my daughter was discharged, could barely walk, threw up in toilet on ground floor and fainted and only me to help her,, she had a reaction to medication which was fine, but at least give her a wheel chair to the door, or someone else to help hold her up,,, but i am glad malala is coming through what she should never had done to her,,, sad this day and age

Reply
- 72
- 7
Maurice byrne 04/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
Inspirational indeed but taking all other day to day attrocities on both sides and the bigger picture of USA/western media into account its a nice little cliche image alright

Reply
- - 7
  - 32
  Michael J Collins 04/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
  What a sick comment.
- - 1
  - 6
  john doe 05/01/13 Comment reported, thank you Report this comment
  Your a very sick and deranged individual. Your hate knows no bounds.