06 June,2015 12:59 PM IST | | Sadaguru Pandit
Gamdevi Pal might not have been subjected to same fate like Aruna Shanbaug. However, the unfortunate common thread the women shared was the prolonged vegetative state that forced them bedridden for ages
Gamdevi Pal might not have been subjected to same fate like Aruna Shanbaug. However, the unfortunate common thread the women shared was the prolonged vegetative state that forced them bedridden for ages.
44-year-old Jogeshwari resident who had slipped into coma in 1989 during a surgery, died on June 5 after 26 years of comatose state in Nanavati Hospital. Pal was being taken care of by the nurses and doctors of the hospital all these years and received continuous family support, who kept praying for her signs of recovery till her last breath.
In 1989, Pal, a resident of modest Ram Nagar locality of Jogeshwari was admitted in Nanavati Hospital for her pregnancy. The family said that the reason behind choosing the high end hospital despite their modest economical state was the love and affection of her father-in-law who worked in Vile Parle and could visit Pal at any point of the day during her admission. However as fate had planned a different role, Pal slipped in coma post the cesarean delivery after giving birth to a baby boy.
While Pal never woke up from the comatose stage, hospital authorities decided to admit her in the hospital and take care of her. When spoke with the authorities they said that they made sure that Pal didn't face any complication during her admission.
"Our nurses kept changing her position after every two hours so that she doesn't suffer from bedsores. Till her death, there wasn't a single peel of her skin that came off or any injury that she probably would suffered due to negligence. She was our patient and we took care of her without complaint," said the spokesperson of the hospital.
The family on the other hand had no clue whether to celebrate the birth of the boy or mourn the vegetative state of Pal. They kept visiting her every day, wishing that she might show few signs of recovery. "We were young when it happened. But I clearly remember the trauma of the family. Even after all these years, none of the family members neglected her or avoided taking care of her. She was like our elder sister and we treated her the same way till the moment of her death, " said Shiromani Pal, her brother-in-law.
