AIIMS does its bit, help pours in for blast victim

It was a spontaneous gesture of concern. Touched by the story of a blast victim afflicted by poverty and pain, an initiative has been taken to reduce her suffering. The AIIMS has offered to do Sheetal Rawat’s dental reconstruction for free. Rhythma Kaul reports.

It was a spontaneous gesture of concern. Touched by the story of a blast victim afflicted by poverty and pain, an initiative has been taken to reduce her suffering.

HT Image

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has offered to do Sheetal Rawat’s dental reconstruction for free.

Much before doctors at AIIMS examined the Mehrauli bomb blast victim, help from readers poured in within hours of her plight being highlighted in Hindustan Times (Poverty, pain grip Mehrauli blast victim, January 18). From young surgeons offering to do free reconstructive surgery to people offering to pick up the entire Rs 3 lakh tab needed for it, people opened their hearts and loosened their purse strings.

On Sunday, HT had reported that Sheetal, 11, has been living in excruciating pain four months after the September 27 blast as her eight shattered teeth and extensively damaged tongue made eating as well as speaking difficult.

Emails from professionals, students, NGOs and businessmen clogged the HT mailbox, offering to do their bit to bring a smile back on the little girl’s face. Thank you all.

Taking up the AIIMS offer to take charge of her surgery, HT accompanied Sheetal and her father Bachchan Singh Rawat to the oral and maxillofacial surgery unit at the hospital.

After an examination, doctors concluded Sheetal would need to get her shattered teeth extracted to take away the pain. She’ll be given temporary dentures till she is old enough to get permanent implants. Doctors have recommended that the reconstruction of the tongue and face be done after she turns 16.