As questions cropped up overshifting the Delhi gangrape victim to Singapore, the doctor,who led the team that treated her in Safdarjung Hospital, andanother who accompanied her in the air ambulance, todayrebutted criticism of the decision saying the intention wasto save her at any cost.
Maintaining that this was not not the time to have adebate whether the decision to shift her was political ormedical, Dr B D Athani, Superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital,said "The pure intention was to save her. The whole nation waspraying for her and everyone was hoping for the best. We couldnot have given hope. We wanted to save her."
Dr Yatin Mehta, a critical care specialist of the MedantaMedicity Hospital, said he was surprised by criticism of thedecision.
Some experts like Dr Samiran Nandi of the Ganga RamHospital had expressed surprise why a critically ill patientwith infection in blood and body, high grade fever and onventilator was been transferred.
"It was always a clever retrospection. Doctors arealways at (their) best to criticise the decisions of otherdoctors and that is not not fair," Mehta said on thecriticism.
Mehta said the patient survived for 48 hours inSingapore and so it cannot be said that she should not nothave been transferred.
"Secondly, there is no no comparison between government hospitals in India and Mount Elizabeth in Singapore. I am notnot talking about the expertise of the doctors but about theinfrastructure. We need to acknowledge that," Mehta said.
Dr Athani said she had most serious forms of injuries toher intestine and genital system.
"We removed majority part of her intestine. There weregrievous forms of injuries. We did not talk much aboutinjuries to genital system because they were not affecting herhealth then," he said.
Athani said the girl was stable and showing signs ofimprovement for the first five days of treatment but hercondition deteriorated after that due to severe sepsis in herbody.
"She had immense fighting spirit, made two statements topolice even during such times and was physiologically fit. Shewas alert, conscious and relevant," the doctor said.
Athani said the paramedical student was given the besttreatment both at the Safdarjung Hospital as well as at theMount Elizabeth Medical Centre in Singapore where she wasairlifted.
The hospital in Singapore is renowned for multiple organtransplant facility and Athani even noted that celebritiesfrom India like Rajinikant and Amar Singh had gone there fortreatment and had returned successfully.
Dr Mehta said her condition was "worse than what it was when she was in Delhi."
"We met her yesterday before we left for Delhi. Hercondition was worse than what it was in Delhi. She sufferedserious injuries to many of her systems in the body and we dideverything to save her," he said.
Mehta also said Singapore was chosen for her airliftbecause it had one of the best hospitals for organ transplantand another reason was that saving her life was the primaryobjective.
"She is an extremely brave girl," he said.
Dr Athani said doctors at Safdarjung hospital did notspare any efforts to take her out of critical condition butthe nature of injuries was such that she had to face thiseventuality.
"Many of the very serious patients who gets such injuriesand admitted to ICU do survive. This was an extreme case."
He said doctors in Safdarjung Hospital, nursing andparamedical staff had really worked very hard. The responsewas instantaneous when she was brought to the casualty on thenight of December 16 and because of that she could survive forat least 12 days.
From the fourth day her condition was bad. After thethird operation, she never came out of it. Her level ofconsciousness was low.
Dr Athani said she showed her intention to fight it outand to live. She was communicating mostly with her mother.
After the first three days, it appeared as though she wouldcome out it."