RR directs injured CRPF jawans to private hospital

NAGPUR: Maharashtra home minister RR Patil on Tuesday night directed the local cops to get the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans injured in firefight with Naxals on Tuesday to a private hospital instead of Government Medical College and Hospital where they were headed.The five seriously wounded jawans of 191 Battalion of CRPF,hit by the Naxals' bullets at Khobramenda jungle on Tuesday in Naxal-affectedGadchiroli, were being taken to GMCH for treatment. Possibly this was the firsttime when a state home minister had intervened to ensure better care of injuredparamilitary forces. CRPF lost one of their jawans while five were injured.Patil, also guardian minister of Gadchiroli, had assured the CRPF's seniorofficials that the medical bills of the injured jawans would be paid for by thestate government. The paramilitary force officials were in favour of admittingthe jawans at the government-run hospital as per their norms.Thehome minister, TOI learnt from a source in police department, wanted thecritically hurt CRPF jawans to avail the best medical facilities at the privatehospital rather than risk possible lack of facilities and care at governmentone. The jawans had already suffered delays while being shifting from the jungleto government hospital in Gadchiroli town despite security force's chopper beingpressed into action. The jawans, losing blood perilously, were in need of urgentspecialized medical care. They had to be driven to city by road as it wasalready dark and the chopper had no night flyingcapability.The management of Kunal Hospital at Mankapur, wherea C-60 jawan from Gadchiroli is already being treated, had already been alertedby the state home ministry. Erstwhile Nagpur city police chief Praveen Dixit,now principal secretary (home), had called them up to make the necessaryarrangements. Present CP Ankush Dhanvijay and his team was also present at thehospital to supervise the arrangement.Dr Shishir Shrivastava ofKunal Hospital said that they had formed a team of experts from various streamsto attend to the injured jawans as soon as they were brought in. "We wereconstantly talking to the doctors travelling with the jawans in the ambulancesto prepare ourselves. We started the treatment as soon as they were in," hesaid.The bullet had almost damaged the spinal cord of constable ArunMarkande. Dr Shrivastava said that Satish Shinde's condition was serious withhis right lung sustaining the bullet injury. The condition of Yogesh Kumar toowas critical with his right hand gravely hurt. CRPF jawan Rajesh Patelia hadseveral shrapnel embedded in the left thigh while a bullet pierced left side ofAshok Kawade's abdomen.