Girl to get writer for exams, funds needed for prosthetic arms
Train Accident Victim At Great Risk Of Infection: Docs
Sumitra Deb Roy & Shreya Bhandary TNN
Monika More, who lost her arms under a train at Ghatkopar station on Saturday, was much stable two days later and putting up a brave fight. Surrounded by friends and family members, she said she wanted to forget about the accident and move on. The immediate challenge for her is to beat infections that may slowdown her recovery andthreaten her rehabilitation.
On Monday, the 16-year-old was shifted to a separate room in KEM Hospital’s orthopaedic ward. Doctors are planning to give her a blood transfusion to acceleratehealing and remove weakness. Monika’s wounds may take at least two months to heal,
following whichthe processof fitting her with prosthetic armswillbegin.
“This is a trying period for Monika andher family and morethan anything else, she needs emotional support right now. Her classmates and some of her teachers visited her on Monday to cheer her up,” said Lina Raje, principal, TD Mehta Junior College,whereMonika is a studentof Class XI. The college has decided to provide her with a writer so that she may appear for her finalexams.Also, the papers will be scheduled as per her convenience,saidRaje.
Monika’s family wants the railwaysto rehabilitateher. “Sheis pursing commerce. Her parents have pinned all their hopes on her. Her father has a monthly income of less than Rs 10,000 and may not be able to affordthebestof medicalcare and rehabilitation for her,” said her uncle Vishwas Jadhav. The family will be in need of funds for prosthetic arms, a pair of which costs Rs 10-100 lakh. Thesophistication andfunctionality of prostheticdevices aredirectly proportionaltothecost.
Doctors at KEM said they are being extra careful to keep infection at bay. “The wound was contaminated with oil and dirt, worsening already complicated injuries. We are cleaning the wounds daily,” said Dr Pradeep Bhonsale,headof thehospital’s orthopaedic department. For a good prosthetic fitting, long stumps are ideal. “But the sizes of her stumps are not much. We are trying hard to preserve whatever remains,” the doctor said.
The hospital’s plastic surgery departmenthadtriedto reattachMonika’s arms, but failed in their efforts, mainly because much time had lapsed and also the injuries were extensive.
GRP to study CCTV footage
The Kurla GRP will go through CCTV footage from Ghatkopar station to study Monika More's accident."Shesaysshe gotintotheladies’ compartment, but overcrowding caused her to lose balance and fall off,” saidconstable S Morewhospoke toMonika.
DID RLYS, GRP, HOSPITAL FOLLOW RULES? HOPE AHEAD Monika can be fitted with artifi cial arms
TYPES | Available according to functionality and sophistication BEST |Myoelectric arms, which work by reading brain impulses COST | Thousands to lakhs of rupees COST | 10-50 lakh TRAINING | 1-2 years of rigorous training to perform basic functions like holding things REATTACHMENT SURGERY
Reattachment of limbs needs to be carried out within six hours of an accident for best results
The time window for amputated fingers is 12 hours
First bones are reattached, followed by blood vessels, nerves, muscles and skin
Nerves take the longest to regain functionality WHY MONIKA’S ARMS COULD NOT BE SAVED
Rajawadi doctors did not preserve the severed arms in an ice box Crucial four hours were lost before surgeons could start working on the severed limbs The injuries were so severe that there was a high possibility of dead tissues leading to infection and endangering Monika’s life
Contamination of the wound site was severe
Monika’s arms were badly crushed, forcing doctors to amputate higher upACCIDENT
On Saturday, around 1.45 pm, Monika More (16) lost both arms under a train after falling into a gap on platform No 2 at Ghatkopar station
Two brothers pulled Monika out of the gap and walked her 500 metres out of the station. They hailed an autorickshaw and took her to the civic-run Rajawadi Hospital, the nearest from the station
All this while, Monika was bleeding profusely and was in a subconscious state. One of her arms had been cut off on the spot and the other was hanging by the skin
After being stabilized at Rajawadi, she was referred to KEM Hospital, Parel, where doctors tried a reattachment surgery around 6pm, but failed PROTOCOL BREACH
A stretcher and an ambulance were not available at the station
Railway police personnel were not around to take Monika to hospital
At Rajawadi, doctors showed no urgency in shifting her to a tertiary care hospital RULE BOOK
If someone meets with a serious accident at a railway station, the station master has to call an ambulance or a taxi
Station staff are supposed to provide fi rst aid before rushing the victim to the nearest hospital
The Bombay high court ruled in 2006 that the railways must foot a victim’s private hospital bills
The court directed railway authorities in 2004 and 2006 to provide immediate medical attention to victims
HELPING VICTIMS Put the severed limb in a clean plastic bag and tie its mouth tightly or seal it Don’t wash or clean the limb and ensure it does not come in contact with water Fill another plastic bag with ice and put the bag with the severed limb in it If ice is not to be found, don’t waste time looking for it and rush to a hospital with the severed limb With inputs from Nitasha Natu
A basic, cosmetic arm (above) and a myoelectric arm (right). The accident spot (below) on Monday
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