Carmel Convent School tragedy: Month on, bus attendant to be discharged today

Chandigarh, August 7

Forty-year-old bus attendant Sheela, who suffered severe head injuries when a tree split and fell at Carmel Convent School, Sector 9, on July 8, will be discharged from the PGI on Monday.

Her daughter, Jaspreet shared, “We are grateful to the doctors who saved my mother’s life. She can now talk slowly and often tells me that she wants to go to her school and meet the staff. The doctors say that it will take about nine months for her to fully recover. She even tries to walk but we make her sit on a wheelchair. I am really happy that she is coming back home.” The bus attendant had slipped into a coma and fought for her life on the ventilator support for 10 days. The ventilator support was removed on July 19.

Sheela started responding to verbal commands gradually after regaining consciousness. “The patient is stable and has recovered well. She will be discharged tomorrow,” said a PGI official.

The school staff had chipped in for her treatment while the UT Administration provided a financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to her family.

The incident had claimed the life of a 16-year-old student. The tree was heavily infested with termite and fell apart while children were having their meals during the lunch break.

‘Wants to join back school, meet staff’

She can now talk slowly and often tells me that she wants to go to her school and meet the staff. The doctors say that it will take about nine months for her to fully recover. — Jaspreet, daughter