Fourteen-month-old Pari, one of the youngest victims of Pakistani savagery, was operated upon by the senior surgeons in the Government Medical College,(GMC) Hospital in Jammu on Wednesday.
According to preliminary report furnished by the Block Medical officer, Ramgarh, on Tuesday Pari had received splinter injuries on her neck and spine.
She was injured around 9.30-9.45 am when a mortar shell landed in their house verandah in Ramgarh area while the family was celebrating the festival of 'Bhaiya dooj”.
Bleeding profusely she was rushed to the GMC Hospital around 12.00 p.m.
At present Pari is struggling for survival in the general ward of the GMC Hospital. Not only golden hour was wasted due to intense shelling by the Pakistan Rangers on Tuesday but doctors also wasted precious time and waited for 24 hours to operate her.
After her 2 hour long surgery on Wednesday she was not kept in the isolation room but once again dumped in the post operative ward of the emergency located on the first floor of the hospital complex.
Covered in layers of bandage and writhing in pain she was exposed to thick gatherings of VVIP's who converged in front of her hospital bed during the day in the name of asking about her well being.
All this happened after Deputy Chief Minister Prof Nirmal Singh had directed the GMC Hospital authorities to provide best possible treatment to the victims of cross border shelling.
After her admission in the disaster management ward she underwent various pathology tests and waited for her turn to be operated upon. But she was not lucky enough to have received the timely medical care.
Waiting by her bed side one of her maternal uncle told The Pioneer, “after waiting for eight long hours we decided to shift her to Military hospital around 8.00 p.m. He said we were not satisfied with the treatment facilities made available to the daughter of a serving army jawan. He said after losing four of our family members we were shattered and struggling to save this girl here in the hospital. “We were not ready to waste precious time and decided to shift her from GMC thinking she would get better facilities in the Military hospital.
“Her father too was one of the injured victims of Pak shelling. He had received splinter injuries on both his legs. He along with two other patients were admitted in the Military hospital for further treatment but Pari was again sent back to the GMC hospital after midnight”, her uncle told The Pioneer. Sources in the Military Hospital revealed in the absence of Paediatric surgeon in the military hospital Pari was referred back to the GMC and ambulance facility was organised for her safe return.
After waiting for another 12 hours in the emergency ward Pari was finally wheeled inside the operation theatre on Wednesday around 11.00 am where doctors operated upon her.
Medical Superintendent Dr Romesh Gupta told The Pioneer, “her family had requested us to shift her to the military hospital. We facilitated their movement and ambulance facility was provided to them”.
He said after Military hospital authorities refused to admit her, for reasons best known to them, she was brought back by the family to GMC, Jammu after 12.00 a.m. He said in the morning a team of surgeons conducted 'gut surgery'.
“At present we are monitoring her status and not in a position to share more information”. Dr Romesh Gupta said she is under observation and next 24 hours are crucial for her speedy recovery.
Pari was lucky to have survived intense Pak shelling in Ramgarh area of Samba sector on Tuesday as four members of her family including her cousin brothers succumbed to their injuries even before reaching the nearest hospital.
Five year old Abhi along with his mother Anju Devi and 7 year old cousin Risabh were killed on the spot. Anju Devi had escorted these children to her brothers residence to celebrate the festival of 'Bhaiyadooj'.
The children were playing and giggling when a mortar shell landed in their house. “All of them were hit by severe splinter injuries over their chest” ,a report submitted by the Block Medical Officer, Ramgarh, confirmed.
19-year-old Ravinder Kaur of Jerda village in Ramgarh sub-sector was another victim of Pak shelling who succumbed to her fatal injuries. She was blown over by the impact of the mortar shell while working in her kitchen. Aggrieved family members said she was preparing food for them after serving breakfast.
Two women identified as Sultan Begum, wife of Sarfraz Khan and Maqbool Begum, wife of Mohammed Zameer of Naika Top were killed in Tarkundi area when they were both working in their fields.