Teenager Paralyzed After Snub in TV Reality Show Recovering

The 16-year-old Indian girl Shinjini Sengupta, paralyzed after snub in TV reality show is recovering in hospital. On Monday, doctors and her parents said that Shinjini was better and responding to treatment.

Dr B N Gangadhar, Medical Superintendent of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore said that she was under the care of neurologists and that several tests had been conducted. But he did not elaborate.

Shinjini’s father Dilip Sengupta said that his daughter was showing signs of recovery. “Today, she can move with the help of shoulder support. The urinary catheter was removed. But she is still taking liquid food through intravenous (IV) system,” he said.

Sengupta also said that Shinjini could identify them and there was a lip movement. Clearly she was trying to speak.

The doctors, however, were yet to ascertain the main cause for her paralytic condition and her speech problem. “The doctors have not told us about the test reports. They want to conduct some further tests before coming to a conclusion,” he added.

Meantime, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has sought an explanation from the producers of the TV programme that had plunged the girl into such a terrible depression.

The Commission has also contacted her parents to get at what happened during the shoot of the dance competition in May last.

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Already the NCPCR has set up a 10-member committee to frame guidelines for children’s participation in reality shows.

NCPCR member Sandhya Bajaj did not rule out the possibility of stringent action if the parents were found to have been overzealous in pushing their daughter to perform.

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Branding participation of children as a new age “child labour,” the commission has also sought the help of the Union Labour ministry in the matter. The committee will be addressing issues related to the working conditions of children in such programmes.

Source-Medindia
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