A swift airlift by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and timely surgery by doctors at the Army’s Research and Referral (R&R) Hospital resulted in the airlifting of a soldier whose hand got amputated in the forward area of Ladakh and brought to Delhi in the limited window, which allowed it to be re-attached after a long surgery at the hospital.
“An Indian Army personnel severed his hand while operating a machine, at a unit located in the forward area. Given a window of 6 to 8 hrs for emergency surgery to save his appendage, a C-130J aircraft was launched within an hour to move the Jawan for surgery at the R&R hospital in Delhi,” the IAF said on social media platform ‘X’.
On path to recovery
The injured soldier received medical attention promptly due to the dark night airlift on night vision goggles from Ladakh sector by IAF, it said, adding: “A dedicated team of medical personnel carried out a successful surgery and the jawan is now on his path to recovery.”
The incident occurred on April 9 wherein a soldier stationed in Ladakh suffered severe injuries and one of his hand got amputated, a source in the defence establishment said. The soldier was swiftly evacuated to the Military Garrison Hospital in Leh where he was stabilised by a team of dedicated doctors.
However, as specialised surgery was not available locally, a decision was made to transport the soldier to the R&R Hospital in Delhi for advanced medical care to save his hand, the source said stating that the IAF ensured quick transportation within an hour after the demand for air effort was made by the Army. “All the while, the soldier was kept under medical supervision and the amputated part preserved in a cold container.”
Upon arrival at R&R Hospital, the soldier underwent an emergency and highly complex nine-hour surgery for the reimplantation of his hand, including the amputated thumb and index finger, the source said adding: “The soldier is now stable and under post surgery care.”
