Unnao rape victim still critical, develops pneumonia

The Unnao rape victim, who was seriously injured in a car accident, has developed pneumonia and remains in a critical condition, doctors treating her at a hospital in Lucknow said on Saturday.

King George's Medical University (KGMU) Trauma Centre in-charge Dr Sandeep Tiwari said that the 19-year-old girl is on ventilator or life support system since the last six days and has now developed pneumonia. A team of doctors is keeping her under continuous observation.

"Any patient who is kept on ventilator for several days starts showing symptoms of pneumonia. This is why she developed pneumonia. Her condition remains the same as before," Dr Tiwari said.

He said the victim has several broken bones and wounds in her chest. There has been minor improvement in her condition but it cannot be considered as satisfactory, he added.

"Due to the accident, the victim lost about one-and-a-half litres of blood. After being brought to hospital, she had to be administered 10 units of blood. The biggest challenge for the doctors now is to take her off the ventilator. Blood has also been drained out of her lungs."

The KGMU spokesperson said the victim has several fractures. Her state of unconsciousness could be due to excessive bleeding and a possible internal injury to her head. Doctors of the neuro department are also treating her.

The right side of her body has been affected as she has sustained fractures in her jaw, ribs and thigh. Her broken thighbone has been plastered, he said.

Doctors said her lawyer Mahendra Singh's condition has shown some improvement and he has been taken off the ventilator completely.

The victim and her lawyer are admitted in the ICU of the neuro trauma ward on the fourth floor of the KGMU Trauma Centre.

( With inputs from IANS )