Prime Minister Lauds the Exemplary Work of Mumbai’s Medical Fraternity

Saving lives, performing complicated multiple surgeries and consoling traumatised patients - in Mumbai's hospitals, real-life superheroes have no time to breathe in the aftermath of the tragic blasts.

For the past four days, doctors, nurses, paramedics and hospital staff were silently and tirelessly toiling round the clock, making the city's celebrated never-say-die spirit a reality.

Working quietly behind the scenes, they have been caring for the survivors and consoling relatives of the victims following Tuesday's terror attack on Mumbai's suburban trains that killed about 200 people.

These dedicated medical personnel have been on their toes ever since victims were rushed into the several hospitals spread across central and suburban Mumbai, India's throbbing but cramped financial and entertainment capital.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, during a visit to the Sion and King Edward Memorial (KEM) hospitals Friday, hailed the brave-hearts.

Expressing gratitude, Manmohan Singh said: "I thank the medical fraternity - doctors, nurses and paramedics - for the exemplary and splendid job they have done at this hour of national tragedy.

"The medical fraternity rose to the occasion."

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There are currently 56 victims at KEM and another 21 in Sion undergoing treatment. Over 200 people were discharged.

The surgeons and other medical staff at the two hospitals have performed 16 major surgeries to repair torn limbs and severe injuries, and 47 minor operations.

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"It was great encouragement for us to be patted on the back by none other than the prime minister," said Anil Patwardhan, head of the cardiovascular and thoracic department at the Sion Hospital.

Besides Patwardhan, head of surgery J.V. Hardikar, general surgeon Jignesh Gandhi and orthopaedic surgeon Roshan Wade, along with a dedicated team of some 45 senior and junior doctors, have been working tirelessly ever since they were summoned to hospital Tuesday evening.

"It has been tough performing life-saving surgeries and trying to console traumatised patients and their anxious relatives over the past few days. But none of us are complaining," Hardikar told IANS here on Saturday.

"It was our little contribution to bring relief to the victims of the terror attacks," he added, looking visibly tired.

"Now that we are through with the surgeries and repair of torn limbs, the next biggest concern is to help the patients to overcome their trauma," the doctor said.

But for Sion Hospital's dean M.E. Yeolekar, the blasts brought back the ghosts of the 1993 bomb blasts when over 250 people were killed.

"This is far worse then the 1993 blasts. The victims in Tuesdays' terror attacks have suffered worse injuries. I have seen many deaths and injuries before, but this has been much worse," he said.

Yeolekar and his team of 300 doctors have been at their job ever since the blasts at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

"A majority of the surgeries involved fixing complicated fractures and severe brain injuries," he said.

(Source: IANS)