The condition of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat is now stable after he was admitted to AIIMS last evening with pain in his neck and back following a rough helicopter ride.
However, officials at AIIMS said that Mr. Rawat would be kept under observation for two more days.
In a statement today, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said that the chopper must have encountered air turbulence and, as Mr. Rawat’s seat belt was not properly attached, he banged his head against the roof.
The statement noted that Mr. Rawat had endured a Cervical 1 fracture and a Cervical Collar has been applied to his neck, but added that a doctor’s team will decide today after an MRI whether or not he needs a surgery.
“The Minister suffered a Cervical 1 fracture... There is no opinion about a surgery right now, all he has to do is apply the Collar. He will be kept under observation for two more days,” said AIIMS spokesperson Amit Gupta.