Stretcher shortage adds to train fall victim’s woes

Nitasha Natu TNN  http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIM/2014/02/21&PageLabel=4&EntityId=Ar00404&ViewMode=HTML Mumbai: Overcrowding in a Western Railway local caused a 31-year-old man to fall off between Malad and Kandivli stations recently, severely injuring his brain and face. Worse, the railway police could attend to him only after they dealt with another mishap on the same stretch as they had a single stretcher. Pradeep Ghadshi, the victim, underwent a neurosurgery at the Hiranandani Hospital and continues to remain critical.      A Virar resident, Ghadshi works with a firm in Malad and had tied the knot recently. On Tuesday, Ghadshi boarded a Virar local around 7.20pm. “Ghadshi tried to makehiswayin,butcommuters waiting to get off at Kandivli station blocked his path,” said a colleague, Nancy Nagwekar. Ghadshi saw an ex-colleague, Arvind Rane, in the compartment and shouted that he was likely to fall. Moments later, he fell near Kandivli.      Rane got off at Kandivli station and rushed to inform the station master. It took time to trace Ghadshi as the area was covered with tall grass. Meanwhile, another commuter hadbeen knocked down by a train. “The cops just had one stretcher. They pickedup the victim on track no 4, cleared the line for trains to run, and then rescued Ghadshi. He was taken to Shatabdi Hospital,” said Nagwekar.      The hospital had no CT scan facility. Ghadshi had sustained massive facial injuries with broken jaws, several missing teeth, shoulder fractures and head injuries. Doctors are waiting for him to recover from the brain injury before going in for more surgeries. Ghadshi’s family isfinding ittoughto accumulate Rs 7 to 8 lakh for his surgeries.      In a separate mishap on Wednesday, a vendor from MP, Narayan Singh, sustained serious injuries after he fell while trying to board a long-distance train at Andheri. GRP officials said Singh hadboardedtheBandra-Amritsar Paschim Express and got off at Andheri station around 11.50am. When the train started moving, he tried to get back on it and fell off. Singh is unconscious and is recuperating at Nair Hospital. Pradeep Ghadshi before & after the mishap at Kandivli station