New Delhi: Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, who survived beneath 35 feet of snow for six days after his post in Siachen was hit by a glacier, is now at Army's Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi fighting for his life.
The soldier has been diagnosed with pneumonia and his liver and kidney are dysfunctional.
He is currently comatose and continues to be in shock with low blood pressure, R&R Hospital said.
Koppad is being treated by a team of intensivists, neurologist, nephrologist, endocrinologist and surgeons. He has been administered fluids, drugs to bring up his blood pressure, besides antibiotics.
Koppad, who was rescued on Monday from an altitude of 20,500 feet by a team of over 150 soldiers and two canines, Dot and Misha, and was initially declared dead by authorities, was flown in here by an IAF aircraft accompanied by a critical care specialist of the force and a medical specialist from the Siachen base camp.
He was "severely dehydrated, hypothermic, hypoxic, hypoglycemic and in shock. He was immediately resuscitated by the doctors at the site, who had been there for the past five days in the hope of a survivor," it said. He was treated with warm intravenous fluids, humidified warm oxygen and passive external re-warming.
Fortunately, there was no cold exposure-related frost bite or bony injuries to him, a medical bulletin issued by the hospital said.
"He has been placed on a ventilator to protect his airway and lungs in view of his comatose state. He remains extremely critical and is expected to have a stormy course in the next 24 to 48 hrs due to the complications caused by re-warming and establishment of blood flow to the cold parts of the body," it said.
His family's joy knew no limits as the news trickled in of him being alive.
"It is a rebirth for all of us," said Mahadevi, wife of Koppad, with a visible sense of relief as his miraculous survival.
Mahadevi said the family was going through an ordeal after it came to know of the tragedy, but the news of his survival brought smiles back on their faces. "We were going through a painful ordeal after the avalanche struck...The news of his survival brought smiles back on our faces. We were all crying and had almost lost hope. I didn't know what to do. I have a one-and-half-year old daughter," she said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag visited the hospital and asked the nation to pray for his well being.
Modi described Koppad as an "outstanding soldier" whose "endurance and indomitable spirit" cannot be described in words.
"We are all hoping and praying for the best," Modi added.
Parrikar said his prayers are with the soldier."Doctors are putting in best. Let us pray for him," he said.
Comments
0 comment