A day after the brutal attack on 20-year-old Madhavi and her husband Sandeep, the woman’s condition continues to remain serious, even as she was taken off ventilator support, doctors at Hyderabad’s Yashoda hospital said.
The police said that Madhavi’s father Manoharachari had called the couple under the pretext of buying new clothes for a wedding reception that had been planned. However, when they met him near Gokul Theatre in Hyderabad’s Erragadda, he took out a sickle from his bag and attacked them.
The couple was taken to Neelima Hospital by onlookers where Sandeep, who had sustained a deep gash to the cheek, was stabilised and later discharged. Madhavi, on the other hand, was in a far more critical condition
Having been hacked on the neck and arms multiple times, she was shifted to the Yashoda Hospital for further treatment. A team of 15 doctors tended to Madhavi on Wednesday night where she underwent an emergency surgery.
On Thursday morning, doctors at the Yashoda Hospital addressed the media and said that Madhavi remained in critical condition and was kept under observation in the ICU on the ventilator, and only after taking her off would they be able to assess her condition properly.
Around noon, she was taken off the ventilator with the medical team informing the media that she was responsive but still not completely out of danger.
The doctors said that multiple surgeries were done; after they controlled the bleeding, they performed a surgery to reconstruct her facial nerve, blood vessels, ear and muscles.
Then, the doctors performed another surgery to reconstruct blood vessels, nerve, tendons and muscles, and fix bones in her left hand. The last operation was conducted on the right hand, wherein, her tendon and muscles were repaired.
A press release issued by the hospital stated that there was a deep laceration, measuring 15x5 centimetres, on the left side of her face which had split her ear and left a gash on her neck. There was also profuse bleeding of the carotid artery and multiple veins which were cut along with muscles of the neck.
Furthermore, doctors added that there was a near total amputation of her left arm and that her neurovascular bundles had been cut as well as two bones were fractured. They also said that there was a deep laceration on her right wrist, with cut tendons.
“Post-surgery, patient was kept on ventilator support and shifted to surgical ICU. Adequate packs of blood were given,” the release stated.
The team also said that Madhavi would continue to be under observation for some more time in order to ensure that she responds well to the treatment, stating that she was conscious with a steady pulse rate and blood pressure.
Doctors also added that her haemoglobin levels had improved to 10.8 gms percent from the 3 gms percent at the time of admission.
“She needs to stay in the ICU for further monitoring in view of multiple injuries. Major surgeries done. Multiple blood transfusions done, off from the ventilatory support from today afternoon,” the release stated.
According to police, Madhavi and Sandeep were in love for the past five years and wanted to get married. While Sandeep belongs to a scheduled caste, Madhavi's family (OBC) are goldsmiths by profession. The girl's family refused to accept the marriage but during the counselling conducted by the police they claimed to have accepted it. The father has since been arrested.
(This article was originally published in The News Minute and has been republished with permission.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)