With lungs infected, Shroff still critical

He may not be able to speak as he is on ventilator, but every time a family member walks into the intensive care unit (ICU) of RML Hospital’s trauma centre, Rattan Lal Shroff, 64, tries to respond through gestures.

He may not be able to speak as he is on ventilator, but every time a family member walks into the intensive care unit (ICU) of RML Hospital’s trauma centre, Rattan Lal Shroff, 64, tries to respond through gestures.

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“When we tell him that he has to come back for us, he responds,” said Deepak, his son, a final-year engineering student at Kurukshetra University. Deepak has been on leave from college to be by his father’s side since September 7.

A Model Town resident, Shroff is a commission agent in cloth trade. He has been critical as being injured in his legs and chest in the Delhi high court blast. Doctors had to amputate both his legs as the blood vessels had been damaged beyond repair.

His left leg that had been amputated below the knee in a previous surgery was further amputated above the knee on Tuesday.

However, it is the chest injury that has become a cause of concern for doctors. “He has developed severe infection in lungs. Though we have put him on strong antibiotics, the infection is not in control and can spread to other organs,” said a senior doctor treating him. “If things continue like this, he may go into septic shock,” the doctor added.

His family’s heart goes out to him when Shroff asks for water or something to eat. “But he cannot eat or drink anything externally. It is hard, but we have no choice,” said Deepak.

Of the 56 blast victims who were brought to RML, 12 are undergoing treatment at present. Apart from Shroff, rest of people who had been injured in the blast are stable.