Mayapuri radiation victim takes turn for worse at AIIMS

The condition of a Mayapuri radiation exposure victim, who is being treated at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), turned critical on Saturday.

The condition of a Mayapuri radiation exposure victim, who is being treated at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), turned critical on Saturday.

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Nineteen-year-old Gaurav, employed at one of the scrap shops where radioactive substance, Cobalt-60, was found, was admitted into AIIMS with five others after severe radiation exposure on April 13.

“He developed fever on Saturday morning. The sudden fever is a cause for concern, as it signifies some kind of infection in the body. His TLC also dropped to 1600, and the platelet count is around 30,000,” said Medical Superintendent of AIIMS, Dr DK Sharma.

Normal platelet count is 1.5 lakh, while normal TLC count is between 4,500 and 11,000. Due to highly compromised immunity, any kind of infection can prove fatal for radiation victims.

“We are treating them as per the set international guidelines; we have put him on antibiotic and anti-fungal medicines,” added Dr Sharma.

The condition of another critical victim, Ram Kalp (33), however, has shown some improvement.

“His reports are better than before and his TLC and platelet count have shown slight improvement, which is a good sign,” said Dr Sharma.

The other two victims in AIIMS, Himanshu Jain (20) and Ramji Yadav (28) -- are in a serious condition but stable.

Deepak Jain (32), owner of the scrap shop from where the radioactive was found, and his friend, Ajay Jain (30), both undergoing treatment at Army Research and Referral hospital, are critical but stable. Sources at the army hospital said: “The condition of both has shown neither any improvement nor deterioration.”

Out of eight people, who were exposed to gamma radiation at Mayapuri, Rajinder (35) succumbed to his injuries on April 26, and Babloo (28) was discharged from AIIMS last week.