A day after the agonising death of former nurse and “Permanent Vegetative State” (PVS) patient Aruna Ramachandra Shanbaug at the KEM Hospital here, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced that it would rename the Nursing Training School at Thane after her.
On a day when nurses at the KEM Hospital who had taken admirable care of the deceased nurse and sexual assault victim who had been lying in a vegetative state for close to 42 years, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made an official announcement about naming the Thane-based Nursing Training School after Aruna Shanbaug.
In a tweet after his return from China, Fadnavis said: “Maharashtra Government decides to give late #ArunaShanbaug’s name to Nursing Training School, Thane. Our infinite salutes to her spirit!”
Fadnavis’ announcement came a day ahead of the weekly State Cabinet meeting, at which the government is expected to ratify the decision about naming the Thane Nursing Training school after Aruna Shanbaug.
Earlier in the day, nurses at the King Edward Memorial Hospital, who took care utmost care of Aruna till her death on Monday, rooted for converting the room in ward no 4 of the hospital in which she was confined to bed close to 42 years, into a memorial for her.
Aruna passed away at the KEM Hospital on Monday. Dr Avinash Tupe, dean of KEM Hospital, confirmed that he had received such a request from nurses for setting up a memorial for the PVS patient in the hospital room that virtually had become her home for the past 42 years.
Dr Supe said that while the nurses’ proposal to convert the room in the ward no 4 where Aruna was bed-ridden for over four decades into a memorial in her honour was under considerable, the hospital management was contemplating an alternative to name the hospital room after Aruna and continue with patient care in the room.
“If we are to opt for the alternative, then we will have both paid a tribute to Aruna also making the most of her room to treat patients,” the hospital dean said. Dr Supe, however, went onto add that the hospital management had not so far taken any decision in the matter.
Informed official sources, meanwhile, said that since the hospital was run by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the authorities would have to put up a formal proposal before the BMC and seek an approval before taking a decision on either converting Arun Shanbaug’s room at the hospital into a memorial for her or naming the room after her.
Many of the nurses, who had been extremely compassionate towards Aruna and willingly took care of her over the years, had on Monday spoken about the need for setting up a memorial for the deceased PVS patient at the hospital. On Tuesday, they made a formal request to that effect to the hospital administration.
The nurses, who had gathered on the hospital premises to pay their last respects to Aruna who had part of their lives for years on end, had said that they treated her like their mother or sister and would not forget her.
The nature of care taken by the KEM Hospital staff could be evidenced from the fact that she did not suffer from a bedsore even while being in a comatose condition for close to 42 years.
Until last week she was moved to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital and put on a ventilator following a bout of pneumonia and septicaemia, nurses used to give her a sponge bath every day, put powder on her, change clothes, feed her and even made arrangements for devotional songs for her.
So much so that a two-member bench of Supreme Court comprising Justices Markandey Katju and Gyan Sudha Misra had in their landmark judgement delivered on March 7, 2011 - in which it rejected former Journalist Pinky Virani’s plea for granting euthanasia for Aruna - had placed on record its appreciation for the manner in which the PVS patient was looked after by the hospital staff.
“We do not mean to decry or disparage what Ms. Pinky Virani has done. Rather, we wish to express our appreciation of the splendid social spirit she has shown….. All that we wish to say is that however much her interest in Aruna Shanbaug may be it cannot match the involvement of the KEM hospital staff (members) who have been taking care of Aruna day and night for 38 years,” the two judges had observed.
“We also commend the entire staff of KEM Hospital, Mumbai (including the retired staff) for their noble spirit and outstanding, exemplary and unprecedented dedication in taking care of Aruna for so many long years. Every Indian is proud of them,” the two judges had noted concluding portion of their judgement.