Doctors fear JNU attack victim may never speak again

Roshni Kumari Gupta (22) was responding to verbal instructions from Thursday evening,doctors said. “If you ask her to lift her arm,or open her eyes she tries to do it. But she will probably never talk again,” a doctor from the hospital monitoring her said.

The patient had at least three-four fractures in the frontal and parietal regions — the front and side areas — which have led to brain damage in these areas. The parietal region,which is more damaged,is crucial for understanding of language and speech skills. The frontal region in particular is required for control of voluntary muscle movements essential for speech and swallowing. We are yet to ascertain the full extent of her brain damage,but she may not be able to speak again… that seems quite likely at the moment,” the doctor said.

Doctors said the parietal lobe controls the powers of writing,sensation of touch,pain and temperature. “She is under no immediate threat,since her vitals are stable. She is now conscious and breathing on her own. But we cannot say how the quality of life will be in the long term,considering the brain damage,” they said.

Doctors will now focus on evaluating her brain function,and assessing the damage through a battery of tests. “On Thursday we removed the ventilator support,and on Friday,we were able to remove the tube in her windpipe that is required for assisted breathing. She is conscious,there are attempts to move her eyelids and some limb movement. Now,in a day or two we can start with tests to evaluate her brain function,” he said.

Roshni remains in the ICU,where doctors are monitoring her condition closely.

The 22-year-old student underwent two brain surgeries on July 31,with barely a two-hour gap between them.

In the first surgery,after an emergency CT scan,doctors removed a bone from her skull to let out the accumulated fluid and air in her brain and surgically dress the wounds from her skull fractures. A second CT scan,done soon after,found a large clot in her brain,which had to be removed.

“She was hit multiple times on the head,after which she must have fallen on the floor and further hit her head. The heamatoma or clot was most probably a result of the impact of her fall,” doctors said. She also sustained a fracture on her wrist,and a torn tendon in her arm near the fracture,they said.