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Mahout hurt by Moti recovering
WITH HIS broken ribs and fractured collarbone slowly on the mend Mohammed Ishtiaq, the mahout trampled by the berserk elephant Moti at Kamla Nehru zoo last week, is on the way to recovery.
WITH HIS broken ribs and fractured collarbone slowly on the mend Mohammed Ishtiaq, the mahout trampled by the berserk elephant Moti at Kamla Nehru zoo last week, is on the way to recovery.
The intravenous pipes used to feed the handler have been removed and he has been put on a semi-liquid diet since Saturday. “The doctors say he will be allowed to leave as soon as the stitches have been removed,” revealed the injured man’s brother, Mohammed Mushtaq. Family members of the wounded mahout are all praise for the ‘superb treatment’ meted out by the doctors at MY Hospital.
“After a couple of days we wanted to shift him to Choithram (Hospital) but the doctors assured us that Ishtiaq would get the same quality of medical care here. And they have lived up to their word,” declared the victim’s father Ameer Mohammed.
The mahout’s family is also impressed by the economics of the treatment. “I’ve spent Rs 15,000 since my son was admitted. Most of the money has gone towards medicines as injections as these are rarely available in the hospital.”
Although it is a king-sized sum for ‘a poor man like me’, Ameer says he has been fortified by the Corporation’s promise of covering all medical expenses. And, for once, the civic body seems to be living up to its word. “(MiC member Lal Bahadur) Verma gave us Rs 5,000 the day after my brother was hurt and an equal amount on Friday,” revealed Mushtaq.
An additional Rs 5,000 was handed over to the family today. “The Municipal Commissioner has asked us to spare no expense in the treatment and assured that the Corporation will bear the entire expenses no matter what the cost,” revealed the grateful father.
“Bas yeh in sab sahab logon ki meherbaani hai jo mera baccha theek thaak hai. Allah ka shukra hai. (It is owing to these officials that my son is safe. Thank God),” he says in a choked voice.
