The Crime, Treatment and Death
This is the first of a 3 part series of articles, giving an insight of the Delhi Rape Case, which has created a ripple throughout the nation. Even other nations are having a keen eye on this issue.
It seems a little to pessimistic to wish everyone a regretful New Year. But it is a fact that we are starting the new year with a regret, especially we as Indians. I think you might have caught the whiff of what i am talking about. Yes, it is about the death of the 23-year old rape victim, who was a wake up call to the nation to ask ourselves the question of whether we are ensuring the protection to women that we just talk about. It was a time to introspect. The worst part of this was that, such an unfortunate incident happened in our nation's capital.
The entire nation grieved for her, people took it to the streets, protested that justice should prevail and the guilty be prosecuted and punished swiftly. They voiced in unison, they hammered the politicians for bringing the case as a political issue. The government gave the best possible medical care and promised to bear all the medical expenses. But, in the end, despite her will to live, she left the world in the early hours of December 29, 2012. Leaving us to greet a New Year with a sense of guilt and regret.
The Crime
It all happened on the 16th of December in Delhi, when a 23-year old physiotherapy student along with her male friend boarded a bus at 9:30 pm. The male friend grew suspicious when the bus doors were shut, also the bus deviated from the normal route. By the time he raised an objection, a group of six who were in the bus had started taunting them about being out so late.
The friend of the victim, when tried to intervene was beaten up by the pack and knocked out cold with an iron rod while the woman was dragged to the rear end of the bus and raped by the gang while the driver continued to drive. The driver is also been reported to have raped the woman. The worst part of this was that the woman suffered damages to her intestines abdomen and genitals. Doctors believed that a blunt and rusted object might have been used to penetrate the woman, on investigation it was found to be the rod that is used along with a wheel jack. Doctors said that the rod inserted which was inserted into her body when removed seems to have removed most part of her intestines along. It is to be noted that the woman when hospitalized, was found to have just 5% of her intestines intact.
After the assault, the woman and her male friend were robbed of their possessions, stripped naked and were thrown out of the moving bus. Passers by informed the police, who hospitalized the victims. The perpetrators had cleaned the vehicle to destroy the evidence. The police later arrested the accused and impounded the bus where the crime is said to have occurred.
Treatment
The government had taken responsibility for the 23 year old and made sure that she got the best of treatment. She was admitted in Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi. The 23 year old victim was literally battling for her life for 13 days before she died. Throughout her ordeal, she had shown the will to live. For most of her days in the hospital she was under ventilator support. There were some serious medical complications from the brutal attack on her. Most part of her intestine were missing and around 5% was left, which was heavily damaged leading to a gangrene as a result of which the doctors had to remove it to prevent further infection. Her organs such as Kidneys and Liver had shown some dysfunction at the initial stages of treatment. Her abdomen had to be opened and cleaned to ensure that there were no risks of internal infections. The 23-year old paramedical student could not orally communicate, hence she communicated through gestures and at times used to write down the message. The government of India had promised to take care of all the medical expenses of the victim and ensured medical treatment in any part of the world. It also promised to sponsor for the transplants that the victim would have to have.
Throughout the treatment process in India, the doctors were worried about her WBC and platelet count, as it showed abnormality. Also at times she developed internal bleeding which the doctors attribute it to clotting in the blood vessels. The worst part of her medical condition came when she was about to be air-lifted to Singapore. The doctors were unable to detect her pulse for nearly 3 minutes, also she suffered cardiac arrest. She had also suffered brain damage and doctors believe this damage to have triggered the cardiac arrest.
Death
The valiant warrior who had fought tirelessly for 13 days, just for the sake of living a normal life once again, breathed her last in the early hours (IST) on December 29,2012. She died in Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore, a super specialty hospital where the victim was transferred the previous day. Doctors say that her death was due to multiple medical conditions.
The main cause of her death is said to be because of Cerebral Oedema, a condition where the brain swells and stars to collect fluid inside the swellings and the increase in volume of the brain increases the pressure in the skull. Usually such conditions are treated by draining out the fluid collected. But given the case of the victim, the severity of the condition and her instability , in terms of her health condition, put an end to her life as the brain cells were damaged and destroyed due to the Oedema. A CT scan revealed blood loss in the brain, it was later found to be during the time when the doctors at Safdarjung hospital couldn't find a pulse or blood pressure on the victim for 3 minutes, prior to the 23-year old being air-lifted to Singapore.
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