Mumbai: Dipali Lahamate, the 25-year-old intern at Nair Hospital Dental College, who was injured in a hit and run accident at Marine Lines last week, succumbed at J.J. Hospital on Friday evening.
Doctors attempted to revive her, but her condition deteriorated due to the injury to her brain and several fractures all over her body. “Her blood pressure continued to drop. Her vital parameters fluctuated,” said Dr. S.D. Nanandkar, dean of the hospital. He also said the patient had been unconscious since her admission on Monday and was on ventilator support.
At 4.40 p.m. on Friday, Dipali suffered from a cardiac arrest. Doctors revived her with a cardiac massage and she stabilised for some time. However, her condition worsened soon after and she eventually succumbed. Her friends and family members had gathered outside the Critical Care Unit of the hospital.
On March 24, she was on her way to attend her brother’s convocation at Grant Medical College Gymkhana at Marine Lines when a speeding Honda City driven by Napean Sea resident Shikha Jhaveri, a teacher, rammed into her. Dipali had alighted from a cab and was crossing the road at the signal near Taraporewala aquarium.
Her brother, Abhinay, who had completed his internship after MBBS from Grant Medical College was at the convocation along with their elder sister Sarika, a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery graduate.
“She had been very excited about her brother’s convocation for the last few weeks. She had made a gift for her brother with messages that traced his MBBS journey. She was carrying the gift to surprise him,” said Kajal Mise, Dipali’s hostel room mate. The hand-made gift was found at the spot, mangled. “She was extremely creative and always had a smiling face,” Ms. Mise said.
Mr. Abhinay said the woman who was driving the car should be punished for her negligence and leaving his injured sister on the road. “She was so young. How could this happen to her,” said the inconsolable brother.
Ms. Sarika said some people from the accused’s side visited the hospital on Thursday night and behaved like they were snooping. “But no one directly approached the family to inquire about Dipali’s condition.”
She said, “My sister should get justice. I don’t know if the police will do a fair investigation as the accused is from a well-to-do background.” Sarika rushed to the spot of the accident from the convocation ceremony, but by then, a passer-by had taken her to hospital.
According to Dipali’s friend Dr. Manish Padmane, the people who took her to the hospital were not locals. “The closest hospital was Saifee at Charni Road or St. George or G.T. Hospital. But they first drove her to a small medical set-up, which was not equipped to handle serious cases. They were then directed to Bhatia Hospital,” said Dr. Padmane.
The family shifted her to J.J. Hospital two days later as the bill had reached close to ₹2 lakh and they could not afford it. On Thursday, as Dipali’s condition deteriorated, the family discussed the possibility of organ donation as well. “Her distraught parents had given their consent too,” said her uncle Raju Thokal.
Dipali’s father is a retired medical officer and he had last worked in a Beed hospital. “The family has a medical background. They were aware that brain stem injuries are always serious,” said Mr. Thokal. But doctors said her organs were not viable. A post-mortem was carried out late in the evening. Relatives said her body will be taken to her home in Rajur village in Ahmednagar district.
“Following the victim’s demise, we are adding section 304 A (causing death due to negligence) of the IPC to the FIR,” Vilas Gangawane, senior police inspector, Marine Drive police station, said.
