Kite string (manja) slits throat of a 17-year-old boy on two-wheeler- public urged to be more responsible

Kite flying is a popular sport in India. The string (manja), used for flying kites is either coated with ground glass and glue or is of nylon, which makes it very sharp. This abrasive string can give rise to various types of injuries ranging from minor cuts to life-threatening injuries and can cause severe disabilities as well as death.

It turned out to be a tragic year-end for Aditya Bharadwaj, a 17-year-old boy from Nagpur, who was severely injured after a sharp manja slashed his neck while he was on his way to tuitions on a two-wheeler. Aditya sustained a deep cut on the right side of his neck which resulted in profuse bleeding. While grabbing the manja with his hand he sustained cuts on all fingers of his left hand. He was immediately brought to Alexis Hospital with this severe injury.

On examination and assessment in the accident & emergency (A&E) department at Alexis Multispeciality Hospital, major vessels of his neck were found to be ruptured and bleeding profusely.  His blood pressure was dropping rapidly and his clinical condition was deteriorating. Considering the life-threatening injury, without wasting any time, with on-going resuscitative measures he was immediately shifted to the Operation Theatre within minutes of his arrival at the hospital.

Aditya was immediately attended to by a medical team comprising of an emergency physician, surgeons, and anesthetists including Dr. Rupesh Bokade, Dr. Abhijeet Bhatkulkar, Dr Rajvilas Narkhede, Dr Suraj Agrawal, and Dr Dilip Wasnik. During the operation, it was found that muscles on the right side of his neck and major vessels including Internal Jugular Vein (a vessel that brings blood from brain to heart) were completely ruptured. The team successfully operated on Aditya and meticulously repaired all the ruptured vessels and muscles. After the operation, he recuperated well under the care of the multidisciplinary team at the hospital and was discharged without any concerns.

Dr Abhijeet Bhatkulkar, treating surgeon shares, “A few minutes of delay in treatment could have resulted in the loss of his life.  Timely intervention and teamwork helped us save Aditya.”

Aditya, at the time of his discharge from the hospital, shared that “I had lost my father due to Covid-19 and was very afraid of what happened to me in the blink of an eye. During this tough time, along with my well-wishers, Alexis also helped me financially. Dr Abhijeet continued to motivate me and helped me recover.  The entire team here was very caring and never missed an opportunity to make me smile. This new year is actually a new life gifted to me by Alexis Hospital!”

Dr Tushar Gawad, Sr. Hospital Administrator at Alexis Hospital says, “This is the true advantage of a well-equipped tertiary care super speciality hospital with all necessary facilities and expertise under one roof, which helps us successfully treat such severe cases. We as responsible citizens must take care of our communities and ensure safe surroundings for all. I urge all residents of Nagpur to spread this message as an education to our kin so we avoid such mishaps in the future in our communities.”