Karnataka: Family of tree crash victim faces hospital dilemma

A week after a peepal tree fell on 18-year-old Rajashekhar KV in the heart of Bengaluru and injured him grievously, his parents are concerned over the future medical care of their son.

Rajashekhar is due to be discharged from Manipal Hospitals next week and authorities plan to shift him to the government-run Bowring Hospital for nursing care. But there is a hitch: father Venkataravanappa is opposed to the idea.

"Why would they want to discharge or shift him elsewhere? What if the treatment is not good in the other hospital? We don’t want him shifted now,” he said.

It's also unclear who will pay for several critical surgeries Rajashekhar is scheduled to undergo several weeks later at Manipal Hospitals, Millers Road. The medical bill for the life-saving surgeries that Rajashekhar underwent has come to over Rs 20 lakh.

Rajashekhar was walking back to his PG when the peepal tree crashed at the Chandrika Hotel Junction on Cunningham Road. He belongs to a poor family in Bagepalli, near Chikkaballapur, which has taken loans to enrol him into a flight attendant course.

Dr Mohan K, a urologist at Manipal Hospitals, noted that Rajashekhar was healing well after having undergone major surgeries for his pelvic and thigh-bone fractures and bladder injuries.

"The surgery to connect his bladder to his urethra and a urethroplasty will be done in 3-6 months depending on how his healing progresses. His pelvic surgery might happen in a few months, too. For now, it is recommended that he undergoes home care after discharge in 2-3 days,” he told DH.

Hospital staff will be teaching the family how to take care of Rajashekhar at home.

Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad visited Rajashekhar and his family on July 21. He said he had suggested that Rajashekhar be transferred to Bowring Hospital instead of travelling to his hometown near Bagepalli. This was also because he would still need to be brought back to Manipal Hospitals for the remaining surgeries, Arshad said.

"The cost of these surgeries will have to be borne by the BBMP. If it's unable to do so, we will arrange something from the CM’s relief fund or make other arrangements,” he said. "As a society, we must take responsibility for this."

However, BBMP Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath noted that there were rules the civic body had to follow to provide compensation or ex gratia after natural accidents. "After a point, it is not sustainable to keep him in a private hospital when there are government hospitals that are equally good,” he told DH.

While the MLA's office supported the family financially, civil society activists are seeking legal help to make the BBMP pay for Rajashekhar's treatment.