This is a true story. I often wonder how a story can be true! But anyway .....an experience perhaps?
This happened some 40 years ago when the medical infrastructure in the country was not present. (today at least it is present . . . it is not reaching to the masses is other thing) The era was such that there was no specialist physician existed and people too did not care much. They too were totally inconsiderate about such questions and relied mostly on maintaining the health well rather than repairing the ruined one. Unlike todays condition, where we have one specialist for left knee and the other specialist for right knee was of no question.
Our story happened in the village nearby Mumbai. Where at that time the team at the local municipal hospital comprised of just 1 M.D. physician, two resident doctors, one cleaning staff (who was always drunken) and one nursing staff who handled pediatric, orthopedic, gynaecoly cases each day without much equipments, and purely on the strength of common sense.
One day, when gynecology timing were scheduled between 4 - 6 pm, a lady came in lilttle early in horrible condition. She was eight months in gastation period (8 months pregnant). She wanted to undergo a check up so she was walking to the hospital. Suddenly she faced an angry, enraged bull who eventually hit her with his horn on her belly bump. The impact was so sharp that the bull managed to pierce her uterine muscles. Unfortunately, after this attack the baby's hand in womb came out through her muscles. Although as a result it stopped the blood flow but unlucklily the infants hand stuck tightly in the hole of the uterine muscles. The good part was she was still ok and in same physical state she walked down to hospital and presented in front of the team.
Doctor annunced high emergency as he saw her, and started treating her in order to insert the baby's popped out hand in the lady womb - where it should be. There was now a major risk of life to baby and the mother. All the efforts of the doctor were going unsuccessful. After a while baby's stuck hand got so cramped up that it started turning bluish green in color. As it made a lot of sense that the hand is not receiving enough supplyof blood and oxygen, It was a red alert then. Doc therefore decided out of no choice that the hand has to be amputated. The arm then will somehow get inside and then doc will perform stitches on the injury. That was the only solution everybody thought was ideal and safe for both the mother and the baby.
Impulsively but carefully, the drunk cleaning fellow from the hospital team suggested something to the doc about the possible solution to try before the amputation procedure. Doc - already lost, thought let us give it shot for his theory. If it is not successful then amputation will be the only option and by thinking this rationally gave the fellow a positive nod. The fellow went inside came with a lit candle. He also brought a needle along. He made that needle red hot on the candle. Then he went near the pregnant lady who by that time was uncauntious. He gently touched that blazing needle on baby's popped out hand. As he touched the needle to the hand, the infant magically pulled the hand inside the womb - ofcourse as a result of reflex action. Doctor then completed the rest of clinical procedure. The baby and also mother were in the safe zone now.
Eventually the baby girl was born. Interestingly, the baby did not have any sort of scar or burn on her hand. The scar was healed when she was in womb and baby was born without any congenital abnormality. The drunken fellow clinically claimed victory over the double graduate doctor. :-)
Ofcourse 'common sense blended with composed mind' can do wonders!
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