23-year-old victim battles for life in ICU

On ventilator support, injuries in abdomen

The girl who was gang raped in a moving bus on Sunday night is struggling for life at Safdarjung Hospital’s ICU. Doctors are waiting for vital parameters like heart beat to improve before taking any further action.

“She is still not out of danger and has sustained injuries severe in nature,” said Dr B D Athani, medical superintendent of the hospital.

“The girl was brought to us at 11.30 pm on Sunday. Her surgery due to injuries on her abdomen was carried out around 2.30 am on Monday. Since then she is in the ICU,” added Dr Athani. The girl is on ventilator support in the intensive care unit.

The surgery was performed by a senior surgeon and adequate blood has been transfused into the girl’s body.

The para-medical student has suffered severe genital injuries due to rape. Her abdomen and intestine have been injured badly. It is suspected that she was hit by a blunt object causing damage to many body parts.

“It is not definitive whether an external object caused injury to the intestine, or rape. But usually the intestines are not damaged on account of forced sexual intercourse.

She might have resisted and was physically injured,” said Dr Athani, adding her intestinal injury was visible at the time of operation too.

She will have to stay in the intensive care unit for many days. “Her vital parameters are being constantly monitored. Once they show improvement, only then she will come out of danger,” said Dr Athani.

The girl’s face has been hit too. Its not only the nation which has been taken aback by the incident, but the doctors who performed the hour-long surgery also complained of shock and stress.

“They are strained too. It is tough to see a rape victim in this condition,” said a doctor at the hospital.