INDIA: The 5 Year Old Child Abduction, Hostage, Rape Victim In Critical Condition At Hospital Still On Drip, Victim Asks For Food, But Will Have To Wait For 2-3 Days. :'(

The Times of India

Still on drip, victim asks for food, but will have to wait for 2-3 days

written by Durgesh Nandan Jha, TNN

Sunday April 21, 2013

NEW DELHI - Her wounds speak for the trauma she has been through, yet there is no knowing how much the five-year-old rape victim understands her predicament. After having the capital out in protest for two days, the girl showed signs of recovery on Saturday by asking for food. Her wish wasn't granted, for she is still on intravenous fluid support and cannot be given solid food.

"Her asking for food was so stirring," said a hospital nurse looking after the girl. "The child has just undergone colostomy — a surgical procedure to create an artificial opening to the exterior of the abdomen for passing stool. It has been done for faster healing of the vaginal wall and rectum that are badly damaged and infected . We will have to wait for two to three days to start giving food orally," said Dr D K Sharma, medical superintendent, AIIMS.

The doctors have also performed surgical dressing of her perineal injuries which, the medical superintendent added, will be evaluated again on Sunday and dressed under anaesthesia, if needed. According to the hospital authorities, the girl is recovering well. "The girl is stable, conscious, alert and talking. All her vital parameters are under permissible limit. She is not in ICU but under close monitoring," said a senior doctor.

The child was allegedly raped by her neighbour in Gandhi Nagar , east Delhi, and held captive for four days before being shifted to a local hospital where medical examination revealed vaginal tear extending up to the anal opening and damaged walls. She was shifted to AIIMS on Friday where eight specialists from paediatric surgery, paediatric medicine , gynaecology, urology, forensic medicine and anesthesia department have been treating her.

On Saturday, as protesters demanded action against the accused and the government for repeated incidents of crime against women, many top political leaders visited the hospital. This included Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj.

"Azad met the parents of the child and promised them all assistance and best possible medical care. He had a detailed discussion with the team of medical experts and doctors who had operated upon the child," said Dr Y K Gupta, the AIIMS spokesperson.