Indian student battles for life after car crash in US
Darpan News Desk IANS, 29 Nov, 2022 01:37 PM
New York, Nov 29 (IANS) An Indian student has been battling for life in a hospital after a car accident in New Jersey, the US, earlier this month that left him with a traumatic brain injury and several fractured ribs.
Vinamra Sharma, a student of New Jersey Institute of Technology, was "knocked unconscious" as he made his way home from the university campus on November 12.
He was rushed to Rutgers University Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, a GoFundMe page, set up in Sharma's support, said Abhishek Sharma, who organised the GoFundMe initiative.
"He has been taken off a ventilator but still suffers from brain swelling due to multiple surgeries he has undergone in the last week," Abhishek added.
The page informed that within 10 days of the accident, Sharma has undergone four brain surgeries and is in the intensive care unit, hooked up to IVs and life support systems.
Back home in India, Sharma's parents are anxiously waiting for their US visa to be approved.
"We hope and pray that Vinamra will be out of the woods soon and begin his long road to recovery. At the moment, his treatment is focused on getting him to live. If he makes it, the focus of his treatment can shift to addressing the cognitive and physical mobility challenges," the page said.
Sharma's health insurance does not cover accident expenses, and he does not have auto insurance (he does not drive).
His current in-hospital expenses include doctor, surgeon and specialist consultations, ICU services, medical exams and miscellaneous hospital fees.
As of now, nearly $72,199 have been raised from the crowdfunding initiative, which will be transferred directly to the student's family.
The Foreign Secretary stated that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has spoken to his Polish, Romanian, Hungarian, and Slovakian counterparts for setting up a camp at border areas for evacuation of stranded Indian nationals. He also stated that flight options are available through Dubai and Istanbul and that the Indian Embassy continues to be operational in Ukraine.
The Ministry of External Affairs in touch with all the neighbouring countries surrounding Ukraine to even evacuate Indian citizens. Many citizens who were to fly back to India were left at the airport after closure of Ukrainian airspace following Russia's Vladimir Putin announcement of a military operation in Ukraine.
Amidst the prevailing tension, the Indian students stranded in Ukraine are left with no choice but to queue up outside the Indian Embassy in Kiev seeking the authorities' help as they ran out of food and money. The Russian military actions in Ukraine have triggered panic among all sections, including students from India.
Clashes have also been taking place around the capital Kiev in the north and the Black Sea port cities of Odesa and Mariupol in the south, the report said. Air strikes from Russia have been carried out on Ukrainian military bases and airports, with fierce fighting reported around a key airport near Kiev.
The top of the Tower shone bright with a burnt orange top Tuesday, February 22, 2022 to celebrate student Jaskaran Singh’s victory in the “Jeopardy! National College Championship" shared the university's website.
Students at the Ternopil Medical University in Ukraine capital Kyiv are in constant touch with the Indian Embassy. The varsity is also extending assistance to the students. There are around 20,000 Indian nationals in Ukraine. Most of them are medical students.
