Student in ICU, but still wants to take his exams

Satish Banga (name changed), an SSC student, was willing to take his exams despite acute abdominal pains, caused by an inflamed pancreas. But he is now in the ICU of a Goregaon hospital, unconscious, and will have to appear in October as a private candidate for the papers he missed. Deepti Khera reports.

Satish Banga (name changed), an SSC student, was willing to take his exams despite acute abdominal pains, caused by an inflamed pancreas. But he is now in the ICU of a Goregaon hospital, unconscious, and will have to appear in October as a private candidate for the papers he missed.

HT Image

State education board rules state that a student who has missed his exams can re-appear for them in October. If he misses only two exams, he is allowed to keep terms, get admission in colleges and write the ones he missed later.

While Banga appeared for his Hindi paper on March 3, he will not be able to appear for his English paper on Tuesday. One more exam is schedule for this week, which he will likely miss, as doctors say he is likely to remain in the ICU for at least a week’s time.

On Sunday, the student of Swami Vivekanand International School in Kandivli was preparing for his English paper, when he developed acute pain in his abdomen. The 15-year-old was put on a course of painkillers. “His pain did not decrease even then. On Monday, after a CT scan, we admitted him to a hospital,” said Banga’s mother.

Admitted to Life Line Medicare Hospital in Goregoan, Banga was detected with acute and chronic pancreatitis, caused by the inflammation of the pancreas. The symptoms include severe pain in the upper abdomen, vomiting, low blood pressure; it can also lead to a multiple organ failure.

Despite suffering acute pain, Banga was adamant about appearing for his Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exam. His sister went to his school and asked the principal for help.

“We made calls to board officials. They allowed him to give an exam from an ambulance,” said Nupur Gupta, principal of Swami Vivekanand International School. However, the doctor treating Banga said he was in acute pain. “At present, he is admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. He is unconscious and his health is the top priority,” said Dr Ketan Mehta, consulting physician, Life Line Medicare Hospital.

The school even arranged a writer for him, but Mehta said that Banga was too weak to speak.

“A writer would not help him in any way, since he cannot speak,” Mehta added.