THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vidya, a 27-year-old native of Koodal in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, was determined to get a divorce from her abusive husband Santhosh.
When the physical attacks began to increase she decided to end the toxic relationship. She took her son who was barely a few months old and moved with her parents. She filed a divorce petition before the district family court in the hope to put an end to her marriage, which lasted over a year. But her life turned for the worse when Santhosh reappeared in her life on September 17.
Santhosh, living around 13 kilometres away from Koodal, reached Vidya’s house on a Saturday. He came with a machete and hid in the backyard. Later, he entered the drawing room and attacked Vidya in front of their son. When she tried to resist the hacks aimed at her head, her left forearms got severed. Santhosh also chopped off her fingers on the right hand. Her father, Vijayan, also suffered injuries when he tried to save his daughter. Santhosh fled the scene soon after the incident. However, he was nabbed later.
The relatives of Vidya rushed her to a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram with a severed forearm and fingers.
However, when they found that the surgery would cost over Rs 10 lakh and post-surgery care would be extra, they decided to contact Health Minister's office.
State health minister Veena George who is also MLA from Pathanamthitta made quick interventions and as a result, Vidya was shifted to Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday night itself.
The doctors at MCH led by associate professor of the orthopaedic department Dr Binoy started the surgery 30 minutes after the shift. The procedure lasted till 9 am the morning the next day. The doctors managed to fix the arm with the help of a metal rod and completed the minute procedures to connect the severed veins and nerves. She was later shifted to the multidisciplinary ICU for observation. Her father had to undergo 12 stitches on his back for the injury.
Later, Veena George visited the hospital to meet Vidya and her parents on Tuesday. She consoled and motivated her to recover faster. Vidya’s parents wept when they shared the ordeal with Veena, who also became teary-eyed. The minister also offered legal help from the Women & Child Development Department. Before leaving the hospital she directed the hospital superintendent to offer all-inclusive free treatment to Vidya.