A team of doctors from the Indian army and the Tawang district hospital on Sunday saved the life of a 26-year-old man after they removed a 20-cm-long iron rod from his torso.
The 20-cm-long and 16 mm in breadth calibre iron rod got impaled into the man’s lower abdomen after he accidentally fell down on it, officials said.
The rod was removed following a long and complex surgery carried out by the doctors at the Khandro Drowa Tsangmu district hospital in Tawang.
On being informed about the patient, doctors from both the Army Field Hospital at Khirmu and the Tawang district hospital immediately swung into action under the supervision of army hospital anesthesiologist Dr Ranjan Kumar and carried out the complex surgery.
Also present to assist Dr Kumar were surgeon Lieutenant Colonel Ritesh Sharma, anaesthesiologist Dr Ashish Pao and other doctors and dedicated staff of the army and Khandro Drowa Tsangmu district hospitals.
Tawang district medical officer Dr Wangdi Lama said that due to the non-availability of adequate imaging facility, it was a nightmare to know the extent of damage caused to abdominal viscera.
“The team, however, took a call to operate as evacuation to any higher centre was hazardous for the safety of the patient,” Dr Lama said.
He also appreciated the commanding officer of the army hospital Col Abir Gogoi and commander of Tawang Brigade for their support.