BENGALURU: A three-year-old child, who got her index finger stuck in a slide while playing, was rescued after a four-hour operation conducted by the fire and emergency department and doctors in Whitefield on Sunday.
The incident happened around 4 pm, when Ayaana Vishnu was in the play area in the apartment complex where her uncle lives. Though her aunt was keeping an eye on her, Ayaana unknowingly put her finger inside one of the holes on the slide’s platform. When she tried to take it out, it would not budge, sending her into a frenzy.
Ayaana’s father Vishnu TS, an audiologist, said, “After climbing the slide, there is a platform on which children sit. Usually, in many slides, the platform has no holes. However, this one had many holes for rainwater to seep through. When Ayaana inserted her finger inside one of them, it got stuck.”
“We tried to help her using soap water and vaseline, but it did not help. Next, we called the fire and emergency department to cut the platform. After they arrived, they tried to cut through using various equipments. By then, Ayaana’s finger had swollen and she was almost unconscious. Then I called a doctor from Columbia Asia Hospital who arrived in no time,” he added.
The doctors immediately resuscitated the child with IV fluids and oxygen. Intravenous sedatives and pain killers were injected and the child’s vitals were monitored continuously, while the fire department cut the iron platform without damaging the child’s finger.
Dr SP Senthil Kumar, consultant-paediatric, neonatal, cardiac intensivist, Columbia Asia Hospital, said, “As our team reached the location, we saw that the child was losing consciousness and her pulse was feeble. We resuscitated her and administered intravenous sedation, so that the fire department members could do their job.”
Ayaana was kept under observation overnight and was discharged after 24 hours. Vishnu said, “It is necessary for the play area to have child-friendly and well-maintained play equipments. Today it was my child, tomorrow it could be anyone’s. Measures should be taken before installing the equipments. The fire and emergency department did not have the right tools. The government should check all of this.”