NEW DELHI: Swift action by a multipronged team of defence personnel ensured that a soldier whose left hand was severed in an accident in Ladakh could undergo timely surgery in which the hand was reattached.
Sources in the Indian Army said that on the night of April 9, the soldier was severely wounded while operating a machine at a unit in the forward area in the challenging terrain of Ladakh. His left hand was amputated in the accident.
The Army and the IAF carried out a timely operation which led to getting the severed hand of the soldier stitched in Delhi. After the accident, the soldier was swiftly evacuated to the Military Garrison Hospital in Leh, where he was stabilised by a team of dedicated doctors. “The doctors recognised the critical need for specialised surgery not available locally. A decision was made to transport the soldier to the AHRR in Delhi for advanced medical care to save his appendages,” sources said.
The IAF facilitated the transportation within an hour after getting communication from the Army. “Immediately the soldier was kept under medical supervision and the amputated part was preserved in a cold container,” an official said.
The transport aircraft of the IAF carried out a night landing in Leh airfield using night vision equipment and evacuated the soldier to Delhi. The IAF shared on X that the operation had “a window of 6 to 8 hrs for emergency surgery to save his appendage.”
An IAF C-130J aircraft was launched within an hour to move the jawan for surgery at the Army Hospital Research and Referral hospital in Delhi.
“The injured soldier received medical attention promptly due to the dark night airlift on night vision goggles (NVGs) from the Ladakh sector by IAF. The transport aircraft took off slightly before 8pm and was able to land back slightly after 11pm the same day,” said the official.
At Delhi, the soldier was immediately moved to AHRR from Palam Technical Area under medical supervision. Upon arrival at AHRR, the soldier underwent an emergency and highly complex 9-hour surgery for the reimplantation of his hand, including the amputated thumb and index finger.
“A dedicated team of medical personnel carried out a successful surgery and the jawan is now on his path to recovery,” an Army bulletin said.
Sources said, “This was a casualty evacuation mission that showcased the Army’s rapid response capabilities, advanced medical expertise, and the seamless integration of support services.”