Kathmandu, April 28 (IANS) Dilraj Giri lies comatose on a bed at a hospital. The other beds are all occupied by the injured, with worried attendants hurrying about them. But Giri lies all alone among beeping machines. One among many who were left badly injured and without families when an earthquake struck Nepal.
When this IANS correspondent visited the National Trauma Centre, which was inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month, he saw the place was milling with patients and their attendants.
There was no one for Dilraj Giri.
Giri, who suffered horrific head and chest injuries, was being taken care of by doctors and nurses who were themselves pressed for time.
Pradip Koirala, a doctor, told IANS that they have been working non-stop since the devastating earthquake on Saturday.
“Victims just keep coming,” he said.
The doctors and nurses have not gone home since that terrifying Saturday.
“We just sleep at the hospital,” said Koirala, matter-of-factly.
There are furrowed brows in the hospital as attendants take care of the patients — most of whom have suffered serious injuries on their head, chest or limbs.
Ram Bahadur Lama, 49, has been in coma since that fateful Saturday. He is not expected to live long as doctors desperately try to save him.
His son Santar Lama, 29, told IANS that his father’s limbs were crushed and he suffered injuries to his chest.
“My father was sleeping when the earthquake struck. We were able to run out, but he couldn’t and got trapped in the rubble of our home,” Santar Lama mumbled.
“It took us 15-20 minutes to bring him out and he has been unconscious since then…,” his voice trailed off.
A young engineering student lies on a nearby bed. Raymond Bala, 22, suffered a major head trauma.
His aunt, who was taking care of him, told IANS that Raymond’s mother was in shock and a pitiable condition ever since she learnt of the injuries to her young son.