Beyond the casualty count: Delve into the debilitating physical and psychological impact on Red Fort blast survivors. Discover their battle with permanent hearing loss, chronic pain, and the untold struggle of first responders’ PTSD. This human story of post-terror recovery highlights the need for long-term victim support in Delhi.
Red Fort Blast Survivors’ Lingering Trauma
The immediate shock of the deadly Red Fort blast has subsided from the front pages, but for the survivors and the heroic first responders who rushed to help, the horrific night near Delhi’s historic monument remains an unrelenting, painful reality. This narrative moves past the statistics to explore the deeper, long-term human cost, where physical injuries are compounded by devastating psychological trauma.
Many of the victims, currently undergoing treatment at LNJP Hospital, face complex medical issues that require intervention across multiple departments, including neurosurgery and specialized ENT care. The intensity of the explosion has resulted in profound and often permanent damage. Consider the case of 28-year-old Md Safwan from Chennai. He arrived with abrasions and swelling, but his most immediate suffering is the agonizing pain in both ears, a stark reminder of the concussive force that ripped through the area.
Similarly, Shiva Jaiswal, also 28, is battling severe hearing loss in both ears, alongside burns and multiple abrasions on his arms and face. His condition illustrates a common, yet often overlooked, consequence of such events: acoustic shock. According to Dr. Devinder Rai, a Senior Consultant in the ENT Department at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, high-intensity blasts frequently cause trauma that varies based on factors like proximity to the detonation. He notes that some individuals are more susceptible to noise-induced injury.
