As normalcy sets in, more riot-hit injured visit hospitals

New Delhi: It's been nine days since the riots broke out in the national Capital and slowly, as the situation seems to attain normalcy, several victims who have been scared to venture out, are now ready to visit the hospitals for treatment.

People with both minor and major injuries are now being treated at Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital.

Rahul Giri sat at the reception area while his father spoke to a police officer who wrote down the details. 15-year-old Rahul's half face, hands, and feet are burnt. He sat on a bed, waiting for the procedure to get over so that he can be treated and his pain can minimise.

On February 25, he had gone out to a nearby market. He had an exam the next day. "I was standing at a shop when I heard shouts. The next thing I knew was a bomb was thrown in my direction and it blasted near me," he told the reporter.

Even as the incident took place on February 25, the family brought Rahul to the hospital on March 2. They said it was due to fear that they didn't take their boy to the hospital. Millennium Post had visited the boy's house in Shiv Vihar on March 1 when the family was still in fear. The family had asked for someone to take them to the hospital. "We contacted some peace groups, but no one got in touch with us. We came on our own to the hospital," said Vinod Giri, Rahul's father.

After the family felt the situation was under control, Rahul was admitted to the hospital where doctors have said he is out of danger, while his burn will take some time to heal. Rahul had missed his Class X examination, which was a day after the violence had erupted in Delhi.

On a bed beside Rahul sat Ravi. He had a minor injury on his leg. "We were able to leave our house after so many days and I came here," he said.

In the same ward, Faizan stood with his wife. He groaned in pain while a cop was busy taking down his detail. Faizan was hit by a sharp object but had only visited the hospital after things settled down. A patient admitted at GTB told the reporter that the other reason why patients were not visiting the doctors was because they were scared that the police would name them as an accused in the riots. "We have seen some people being questioned by the police on the violence," said a patient whose both hands were plastered.

While the injured are still pouring in, GTB's mortuary is being visited by families trying to find their loved ones. On Tuesday, Bikish didi sat in front of the mortuary requesting the officials to find her father-in-law who has been missing since February 22. The family lives in Chand Bagh, which is one of the most affected areas.

"He had gone to offer prayers in a nearby area and the same night we heard some violence taking place. Since then he has not come back," she said. The family is looking for 60-year-old Hakimuddin since then.

About 47 people have died in the riots. Four bodies were found in Shiv Vihar drain on Sunday, while the search for more is still on.

Many people are missing and families are in fear for them. More than 350 are said to be injured and admitted in different hospitals.