Extremely critical Delhi gang-rape victim has brain injury

Zeenews Bureau

New Delhi/Singapore: The 23-year-old gang-rape victim, who was flown to Singapore on Thursday for further treatment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, continues to remain "extremely critical". Besides a prior cardiac arrest, she also had infection of her lungs and abdomen, "as well as significant brain injury", Kelvin Loh, the hospital`s chief executive officer, was quoted as saying by the Straits Times. "The patient is currently struggling against the odds, and fighting for her life," he said. "As at 28 December, 11 am (8:30 IST) the patient continues to remain in an extremely critical condition," Loh further said. The victim was admitted to the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore early Thursday after her condition deteriorated in the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi. Hospital chief executive Kelvin Loh said in a statement on Thursday evening that the young woman remains in "an extremely critical condition". A multi-disciplinary team of specialists is taking care of her and doing everything possible to stabilise her condition." The young woman was gang-raped and brutally assaulted in a moving bus on December 16 by a group of six people. The six suspects have been arrested. Police said she was traveling with a male friend in a bus when they were attacked by six men who took turns to rape her. The men also beat the couple with iron rods, stripped them of their clothes and threw them off the bus on a road. They were found by bystanders before being rushed to New Delhi`s Safdarjang Hospital. The bus, which was empty except for the attackers and the couple, drove through the city for hours during the assault, even passing through police checkpoints. The security was tightened at the hospital, favoured by well-heeled patients, with each visitor screened before being allowed into the ICU. Meanwhile, The Straits Times today reported that the family of the girl, who is battling for life after being gang-raped in a moving bus in New Delhi 12 days ago, is shell-shocked, but thankful. "The father said he is reassured that the best is being done for his daughter, and the rest lies in the hands of God," it said citing a source who had met the girl`s father and her two brothers. The father, who is in the late 40s, repeatedly expressed his gratitude to the Indian government and Singapore for facilitating the travel and treatment. "Aside from the trauma of the rape, they [the family] have to get used to the idea that they are now in a foreign land," the daily quoted the source as saying. "These are simple, rustic people who have never dreamt of boarding an aircraft, much less travel to a foreign country in an air ambulance," the source was quoted as saying. The family members do not speak English and rely on interpreters to communicate with hospital staff. The High Commission of India has assigned a liaison officer with the family on 24 hour basis. She underwent three surgeries at the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi, where she remained on ventilator support during most part of the treatment. Doctors removed major part of her intestines which had become gangrenous. The decision to shift the girl was taken at the highest level of the Indian government, which has declared that it will bear all the expenses of her treatment.