KOCHI: As the hapless seven-year-old, broken and traumatised by the brutal assault of his mother’s partner, battles for his life at the MOSC Hospital, Kolenchery, doctors are nearing their wits’ end. The treatment given so far has kept him barely alive, and no improvement was observed in his condition on Sunday.
Since the boy suffered severe brain damage, his body is not responding to medical treatment. “Only when the vital stats of the brain show signs of improvement, can we state that his condition has improved. Even though his brain functioning is very weak, other vital organs are functioning, and we need to maintain his blood pressure and heartbeat. We are giving him antibiotics, anti-oedema and anti-epilepsy medicines, and painkillers. We are doing everything possible to help the child,” said neurosurgeon, G Sreekumar.
The doctors have started feeding him through Ryle tube through his nose in order to ensure his essential nutrition. “His rest of the organs, except for the brain, are functioning with the support of the ventilator. Therefore digesting liquid food will not be a problem,” said G Sreekumar to Express.
He added that further action in his case will be taken as per the standard operative procedures of the Medical Board. “The neurons in his brain, which control the basic body functions such as breathing, heart rate and so on, must recover, otherwise chances are almost nil,” he said. Earlier the doctors said the boy had suffered a subdural hemorrhage, a type of bleeding that often occurs outside the brain because of a severe head injury. Air had accumulated in his chest due to a leak in his lungs and tubes were inserted to release the same.