Maharashtra: Bull Shark attack victim to get prosthetic leg next month

Shark attack survivor Hitesh Govari at his residence in Manor. Pic/RANJEET JADHAV

There is some hope at the end of the tunnel for 34-year-old Hitesh Govari, Palghar's shark attack victim. The doctors who treated him at Silvassa's Shri Vinoba Bhave Civil Hospital have said that he will be provided with a prosthetic leg next month, provided his stump heals during this period.

There is also phantom pain to deal with, that Govari is experiencing in the absence of the limb that the doctors had to amputate. He has been prescribed neuropathic pain management medicines for this along with antibiotics. Furthermore, there are weekly hospital visits from his village, Manor, to Silvassa, all of which contribute to the total expenditure of a little more than Rs 6,000.

Govari is the sole breadwinner in his family of four, which includes his mother, wife, and ten-year-old daughter. Even before the attack, the fisherman brought home a meagre Rs 15,000 a month. "We had to amputate his leg and this decision was made after consultation with doctors not only from here but from Mumbai, too," said Dr Dhiraj Bhoi, an orthopaedic doctor at the Silvassa hospital, who attended to Govari.

Also Read: Maharashtra: Bull Shark was provoked by villagers, claims Wildlife Warden

There is a lot of counselling ahead for Govari, the doctor added. "Right now, his stump is healing, but we never know. It is a case of an animal bite that carries bacteria in its saliva; there are always chances of reinfection," said Dr. Bhoi. The kind of prosthetic material to be used will only be determined after Govari's stump heals.

The idea is also to understand if this part can bear his weight. "That will cost about Rs 30,000, but that is only an estimate and it can escalate depending on his condition," Dr Bhoi said. Meanwhile, Govari is still uncertain whether to continue his treatment at this hospital or try another in Mumbai. "It is crucial that his mental well-being is taken care of because it will take time for him to adjust to the prosthetic leg and then adapt accordingly and be back at work. Moreover, he will continue to experience pain in that region," Dr Bhoi said.

Wish to help?
>> If you'd like to donate to Hitesh Govari, here's how:
>> Gpay or Phonepe to hiteshgovarigovari@okhdfcbank
>> Or you could send it to his bank account no.
>> SBI A/c No. 20464631698
>> IFSC Code: SBIN0003918
>> State Bank of India, Tarapur Industrial Estate branch

Rs 30K
Approximate cost of prosthetic leg