Parag (left) with a friend in happier times and now . Parag (left) with a friend in happier times and now .

In a desperate attempt to revive their son from a 20-month long coma, the family of Parag Ingale has written a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi among others appealing that he be sent abroad for medical treatment.

The 14-year old Parag, who was shot in the brain accidentally during NCC practice on February 1 last year, is being treated as “hemodynamically stable patient” after being in the state of coma at the Command Hospital here.

In their letter to the Prime Minister, a copy of which has also been sent to the President and the Defence Minister, the Ingale family has asked that their son be treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital at Birmingham in England where Pakistani educational activist Malala Yousafzai was treated for bullet injuries. The plea has not received any official response yet.

Speaking with Newsline on Saturday, Parag’s father Devendra said his family sees foreign treatment as the last option for his son.

“It’s almost 20 months now since the accident, but there is no marked improvement in Parag’s condition. We were hoping for some recovery, but it has not taken place so far. Sometimes, he opens his eyes and turns his head, but nothing beyond that. Only God knows when he is going to become normal. Since we believe his injuries are somewhat similar to that of Malala Yousafzai, the Centre should help us in getting him treatment in London,” he said.

For Sadhana, Parag’s mother, Command Hospital has become a second home for the last 20 months. She sleeps at the official guest house of the hospital during the night after taking care of Parag the whole day.

“Life has become very difficult for our whole family. My husband stays with Parag during the nights when I take a break. We do not know when our ordeal would come to an end. My bright all-rounder son has been bed-ridden for more than one-and-a-half years now, and we simply cannot do anything,” said Sadhana. Parag’s elder brother Makarand, who studies engineering at a college in Tathawade, often comes to visit his sibling.

“We have not celebrated a single festival since Parag was hospitalised. This includes the Ganesh festival. Parag used to decorate our whole house and also used to enjoy the immersion procession immensely. Memories of the past Ganesh festival celebrations often leave us in tears. My son could have gone places. It is painful seeing him bed-ridden like this,” Sadhana says.

The Ingale family said they had no complaints about the way their son is being looked after at the Command Hospital.

Major General V Ravishankar, Commandant, Command Hospital, said the brain injuries of Parag were completely different from Malala Yousafzai’s. “In Malala’a case, bullets had scraped through her head. But in the case of Parag, the bullet had to be removed from his brain after it had caused considerable damage to the inside tissues. So, both are altogether different cases,” he said, adding they were doing all that could be done.

A hemodynamically stable patient, Parag does not have problems with the physical aspects of blood circulation that includes cardiac functions and peripheral vascular physiological characteristics. A plastic tube inserted in stomach is used to feed him, while catheter is used for passing urine.

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