The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Parents agonise over burns victims

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Saturday, Jul 12, 2008
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Karnataka - Bangalore

Parents agonise over burns victims

Staff Reporter

‘We borrowed Rs. 3,000 to admit our son in a private school’

Bangalore: “I don’t know how I will manage this month. None of the families for whom I work as a maid are ready to help me. Only God can come to my rescue,” said Yashoda, mother of Anjan Kumar who was injured in the cylinder blast in J.P. Nagar last Sunday.

Two children, Nagaraj, 14, and Sanjay Gupta, 11, died when a gas-filled cylinder exploded on Anjaneya Temple Street when they were buying balloons.

Anjan Kumar (13), who along with Manjunath (8) and Vikas (12), is battling for life at burns ward of Victoria Hospital, underwent a surgery for abdominal perforations on Tuesday.

Inconsolable

Although doctors assured Ms. Yashoda that her child was stable, she was inconsolable.

“My husband deserted me when Anjan was a year old. Since then I have been working as a domestic help in four houses to earn a living to bring up my two children. Anjan is our only hope,” Ms. Yashoda said. She is worried that if the hospital staff demands money from her she will not be able to pay.

“Though he cannot speak, he asks for something to eat. But the doctors have asked us not to give anything orally,” she said.

Ansuyamma, mother of Manjunath, recalled how her son had not even sought the money to buy the balloon.

“We are always extra careful about him. We borrowed Rs. 3,000 to admit him to a private school because the Puttenahalli Government School is a little far.

“I did not want him to go through heavy traffic to reach that school. But this accident happened when he was near the house itself,” wept this tailor’s wife.

Despite an ophthalmic surgery on Monday, doctors are worried that Manjunath may lose his left eye. He has suffered 15 per cent facial burns.

Eye surgeries

Medical Superintendent of Victoria Hospital Balgangadhar Tilak told The Hindu on Friday that Manjunath was operated at the Minto Hospital for perforation of the cornea with iris prolapse in the left eye and for perforation of the cornea in the right eye.

Vikas, a class VI student, is recovering and out of danger. One of his eyes is injured and he has burns on the stomach and arms.

His parents, Shailesh Tiwari and Sadhana, who have a paan shop, said they got to know about the accident three hours later.

“Somebody had shifted Vikas to the hospital by then. We are thankful to God that he is recovering and pray to him to save the others too,” Mr. Sadhana said.

Doctors said the parents of another victim, Kushal (5), who had sustained 20 per cent burns, got him discharged from the hospital against medical advice on Monday evening.

Dr. Tilak said the condition of all the three children was stable. “They are alright and are responding to treatment well,” he added.

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