African student in coma for three months, father appeals for govt help
Arriving in India with a dream to become a computer engineer, a bright African student is fighting for life for the last three months after some assailants assaulted him in Jalandhar, where he was pursuing a Bachelor's degree in computer science at Lovely Professional University.
Arriving in India with a dream to become a computer engineer, a bright African student is fighting for life for the last three months after some assailants assaulted him in Jalandhar, where he was pursuing a Bachelor's degree in computer science at Lovely Professional University.
While Burundi national Yannick Nihangaza is in a coma ever since the assault, his father Nestor Ntibateganya has come to India to care for him. The family is in a trauma.
MRI results shows serious neurological damage inflicted on Yannick for the rest of his life. He would be lucky if he comes out of coma, said doctors treated Yannick.
"All my dreams are shattered. Forgot his career, I am now praying for his wellness and for his life," said Nestor, who arrived in India on April 27.
"I have been profoundly saddened, shocked and disappointed that nothing has been done by your government to look into the case," he told HT outside the hospital, where some Burundi nationals studying in Patiala were offering him solace.
"It's tragic. I sent him to your country to study. He was a harmless, great child and outstanding student who was constantly busy learning the skills needed for his future and the contribution to the betterment of the world.
"He was not out on the street to learn how to kill, steal or do other kind of evil done to him by those who are citizens of this country," wrote Nestor to Punjab chief minister on June 20. Till date, he has not received any help from authorities.
"I am writing to you as a father writing to another father, someone who has known and experienced love of a child and has given care and love to other human beings like you…," he wrote to Badal, requesting for help to repatriate his son, now in a vegetative state, to his country and pay for his medical care, apart from the arrest of his assailants.
Yannick, a first-year student, was attacked by some unidentified person on April 21, while he was walking to a party. Though Jalandhar police arrested two persons, but many others are on the run.
He was rushed to a hospital by passers-by, and has been operated upon twice. Later, his friends shifted him to Patiala for specialised treatment.
Nestor, who runs an NGO to provide healthcare services to villagers in Burundi, appealed to the authorities to help him.
"There is nothing left here for the medical team to do for him, from what I hear. And I am profoundly anguished and exhausted, both physically and emotionally, to be here without any hope for improvement of my son's condition," he concluded.
