With bated breath, they resuscitated over 50

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 22

Against all odds, the health staff at the Government Medical College (GMC) managed to save maximum of the injured, who were brought immediately after the train mishap.

While 54 patients were brought dead to the Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs Memorial Civil Hospital and the Government Medical College, 64 were severely injured.

Of the 64, only four have succumbed to their injuries so far. With this, the death toll has reached 58. Of the four, the three injured succumbed to their injuries within half an hour of reaching the GMC, while one died at a private hospital on Sunday night.

GMC Medical Superintendent Dr Surinder Paul said, “Our doctors on emergency duty and others, who reached the place soon along with paramedics, tried to save each and every patient, but the three who died were already gasping and their condition was very bad.” He said that many patients, who were shifted to private hospitals, were first resuscitated by a team of anesthesia experts.

Dr Ramesk Kumar, Professor, Surgery, who was managing the surgery on the day, said, “Each patient was being taken care of by at least five doctors, who were devastated by the accident and went beyond their means.” Dr Sharma, too, conducted a long surgery to save a critical child.

Dr Partap Singh Verka, who was at the ortho emergency, said, “The doctors were performing their duties with a missionary zeal. It is really a miracle that most of the injured have been saved and are doing fine now.” He said students, interns and every employee worked effortlessly.

Dr Ramesh Chandar of the radiodiagnosist department, where tests of patients were conducted, said, “We had a national conference going on at that time. The doctors left the conference in the middle. Many visiting experts from across the country offered help in dealing with the situation.”

The efforts of the medical staff were lauded by Health Minister Brahm Mohindra on Sunday. Even Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and PPCC president Sunil Jakhar congratulated doctors for managing the situation so amicably.