The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Man serious after elephant attack

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 17, 2006
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Man serious after elephant attack

Staff Reporter

The incident occurred near Bidadi

BANGALORE: A 45-year-old person was seriously injured when an elephant attacked him at Boodi-Odeyarapalya near Bidadi in Bangalore Rural district on Saturday. He has been admitted to a private hospital here. His condition is stated to be critical.

The incident occurred near a lake on the outskirts of the village around 7.30 a.m. when the victim, Muninarasaiah, a small farmer, and two others, Narasimhayya (18) and Ananth (15) were returning to the village.

Madaiah, a relative of Muninarasaiah, said the youngsters ran away but the victim could not escape as he was weak and recovering from an illness. He said the elephant trampled upon him. Mr. Madaiah said the victim was first brought to Victoria Hospital around 10.15 a.m. but the doctors in the emergency unit told the relatives that the hospital did not have the facilities to treat such a case and asked them to take him to some other hospital. He said when the ambulance was sought the hospital staff told him there was no diesel. The family was made to "pay for diesel." When the ambulance did come, it did not have the siren. It could reach the private hospital on Bull Temple Road only by noon.

Superintendent of the hospital K.V. Ashok Kumar told The Hindu that the hospital records showed that a general surgeon, an orthopaedist and an anaesthetist had attended on the victim. He was given medicine and put on IV fluid. Since the injuries were serious and he had breathing problems, he could not have been retained in the hospital in the absence of a thoracic surgeon. Hence, he was referred to Rajiv Gandhi SBS Sanatorium, which had thoracic surgeons.

He said he would look into the allegations about ambulance and the demand for money for diesel.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka