In the past couple of days, Saurabh Pendurkar’s family has switched three hospitals for his treatment. (Express) In the past couple of days, Saurabh Pendurkar’s family has switched three hospitals for his treatment. (Express)

(By Tanvi Shenoy)

Five days after 25-year-old call centre employee Saurabh Pendurkar fell off a local crowded train and sustained brain injuries, his sister Anushka (29) has started crowdfunding for his treatment. In the past couple of days, the family has switched three hospitals for his treatment. On February 23, Saurabh fell off a crowded local train at Andheri station. He was found by the men working on the tracks who alerted the Government Railway Police (GRP). He was travelling to work to Malad from his home in Bandra around 11 am.

“He was first taken to the Cooper Hospital, Juhu, where he received first aid treatment. In the absence of a posted neurosurgeon, he was shifted to Nanavati Hospital on Friday. On Tuesday, we shifted him to Sion Hospital,” Anushka said.

She added that the family had paid up to Rs 2.5 lakh as medical bills at Cooper and Nanavati Hospitals. “Till now, we have paid the bills using our savings and help received from relatives. Saurabh has to undergo other medical tests. So we decided to generate the money through crowdfunding,” she said.

The family has collected up to Rs 74,000 through crowdfunding so far. They continue to seek financial support to pay hospital bills. According to hospital sources in Nanavati, Saurabh suffered multiple skull fractures because of the fall. He had to undergo an emergency skull operation at the hospital. Future medical procedures include facial bone repairs and a brain operation.

“He was referred from Nanavati Hospital after being operated for subdural hematoma. Right now, the patient is off ventilator. Condition is stable,” a senior doctor from Sion Hospital said.

Saurabh lives with his parents and his older sister Anushka. While his father Shashikant (66) is a retiree, his mother, Deepali (56) works part-time as an anganwadi teacher. His sister, Anushka, is a public relations professional.

“He only used to travel by train in the morning. In the evening, his workplace would arrange for a home drop. We always talked about the crowd in the train. I would tell him to get a first-class pass made. He was in the second-class compartment when he fell,” Deepali said.

“I think there was a delay and that is why it was unusually crowded. We are trying to stay positive and not influence him with negative thoughts. We want him recovered and healthy,” she added.

“The railways provides emergency first aid and transport service to a government hospital. We also pay for treatment, but any compensation has to be availed through the claims tribunal,” said Mukul Jain, Divisional Railway Manager.

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