Treating patients of child abuse is not an ordinary task by any standards. Doctors and nurses of a private hospital in Nagpur that has seen two such cases in a couple of weeks say it takes a huge toll emotionally.
A four-year-old died at Care Hospital in Nagpur where she was brought air-lifted after being raped in Madhya Pradesh. A nine-year-old from the same state is now battling for her life after being gang-raped.
Some of the doctors who are attending to the nine-year-old had devoted themselves last month to the four-year-old from Seoni who was brought there in a coma.
Dr. Chetan Shende, Consultant Pediatrician at Care Hospital says, "How can somebody do a heinous crime like this to a four and a half year old? It was very tough when we saw the patient first." The child was brought brain dead to the hospital with severe injuries. Despite their best efforts they could not save the child. She died on April 30.
Doctors say treating patients with multiple trauma, complicated injuries takes its toll on any medical practitioner. But here it becomes even tougher emotionally while treating child victims of abuse, despite all their training.
Dr Shishir Palsapure, a Psychologist and Behaviour Therapist with Care Hospital says, "Though the doctors are trained in handling patients like these and to look at them very objectively, such frequent cases can significantly contribute to their burn out."