Ahmedabad Blasts: “I can’t sleep when recall that scene”
Ahmedabad Blasts:I can’t sleep when recall that scene
Superintendent,Civil Hospital Ahmedabad Mrs.M.M.Anchalia(as talked to Japan K Pathak),
Ahmedabad, DeshGujarat on 1st of August, 2008
26th of July, 2008. At 6:30 I was watching news channel on TV at my quarter. My quarter is in Civil hospital campus at walking distance from trauma center. In fact Trauma center can be seen from my gallery. Suddenly on TV screen, I watched a news flash about serial bomb blasts in Ahmedabad. At the same time my phone was ringing. Local MLA Pradipsinhji Jadeja was on the phone. He informed me that injured bomb blasts survivors from different parts of Ahmedabad had started rushing in to the Trauma center of Civil hospital. I told my 16 year old daughter to drop me at Trauma center. Trauma center is the center where patients in emergency are admitted and treated first. After initial treatment at Trauma center, patients are referred to the suitable ward in the main building of Civil hospital.
When I entered the Trauma center and was looking at the arrangements, suddenly after some five minutes, I heard a massive voice of blast. In just 10 seconds there was another blast. We were literally shaken. Voice was so massive that for 10 seconds I couldn’t hear anything else. It was like hearing ability blockage. Assistant medical superintendent Dr. Maheria was also there. We were shocked for some minutes. After two, three minutes I went outside the entrance of Trauma center and witnessed a horrific scene there. half burnt dead bodies were scattered there, One head, two hands, parts of bodies were shattered and were lying here and there. Flames were high. Some people whose bodies had caught fire, some other people whose bodies were bleeding were unstably walking into the Trauma center themselves. As there was a massive destruction in Trauma center itself, initially some survivors were sent to nearby Rajasthan hospital in available rickshaws. Local MLA Pradipsinhji Jadeja was enthusiastically active in arranging such quick helps.
On the ground floor of the Trauma center, our emergency treatment room was completely devastated. I went to the first floor to see whether it was operational after the blast or not. On the first floor, operation theaters doors and windows were broken. On second floor our another operation theater was destroyed. I literally run to the third floor to see whether oxygen supply to our patients admitted there in Intensive Care Unit was intact or not. This was important because at least 13 patients were living only because of oxygen support there at that time. Thankfully oxygen supply was intact. Blast had not punctured oxygen supply system and connecting pipes. However Air conditioner system’s pipes that were just beside the Oxygen supply pipes were punctured.
I again went back to the ground floor. Mobile phones, land line phones, Civil hospital’s intercom telephone lines nothing nothing was working. With senatory supervisor and social worker I literally ran in the long lobby of Gujarat’s biggest Civil hospital and went to my office on the other side of the main building. I was surprised to see health Minister Mr. Jaynarayan Vyas there. He had just arrived there. I informed him about the blast at trauma center on the other side of the building. Minister replied that he had experienced the effect in his car when he arrived at the other side of the Civil hospital at the time of blast.
We tried to dial 108 emergency ambulance service, Fire Brigade, Police etc. but telephone traffic on that evening was so high that we couldn’t get success to contact any of these authorities. Thankfully, Health Minister could successfully dialed a phone to the Chief Minister. Health Minister talked to the Chief Minister Narendra Modi over a phone, informed him about the situation and sought immediate help. Presence of Health Minister and communication to the Chief Minister was quite helpful.
I rushed back to the Trauma center. Called Matrons, Sisters there and ordered to vacate nearest ward to create alternate Trauma center. Nearest ward available was ward C1. This ward was immediately vacated. Patients from Trauma center were taken to this ward. I don’t know how we successfully could transfer so many survivors to C1 ward in minutes. Even doctors themselves ran pushing the stretchers.
We started functioning of temporary trauma center in C1 ward. All nursing students were called on from nursing college in the Civil campus, all doctors from their quarters also rushed in for help. C1 ward had war like situation.
Operation theaters and medical stores generally shut down at 5.00 p.m. but we ordered to open them because we had medicine and other necessary arrangements at ward level for up to 100 patients only. Each and every doctor, nurse, ward boy worked without fear. Treatment was not affected for single minute and alternate trauma ward was functional in some minutes after the blast.
Meanwhile my daughter who had dropped me to the Trauma ward was crying. She was alone at my quarter. Blast site could be seen from our quorter. She was unaware about my how abouts. She phone called my husband who was at his clinic at Kankaria area in Ahmedabad. My husband rushed to the Trauma center and inquired about my how abouts. Our staff at Trauma center assured him about my well being. Due to hectic arrangements, I could meet my husband and daughter one and only after one and half hour.
Our doctors, our ladies staff , volunteers and local people all have shown amazing strength and service in toughest time of this hospital ever. Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh too praised our efforts and work in his visit to the hospital. Terrorist attack on hospital’s emergency ward was a rare event.
Even today when I recall that evening of 26th of July, 2008 I can not stop tears coming out from my eyes. I just can’s sleep when I recall that scene, that evening.
Related Links:
Gujarat:List of Ahmedabad blasts Victims(Updated)
Ahmedabad blasts:Why film ‘Contract’ is in discussion?
Ahmedabad Bomb Blasts News Videos
Ahmedabad Blasts:Terrorists didn’t spare even a hospital!
When Narendra Modi accompanied Dr. Manmohan Singh
Terrorism is a proxy war:Narendra Modi’s Surat talk(Video)
Full text of Indian Muajahideen’s Ahmedabad blasts Email
Gujarat:4 Sketches of 3 Ahmedabad blasts suspects released
August 1st, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Kudos to Mrs. M.M.Anchalia. I really appericiate your brave efforts in tough time. You and you hospital staff all need pat on back for your work from all country people. God bless you and humanity.
August 1st, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Great story. The best story of all Ahmedabad blasts related stories.
August 1st, 2008 at 2:32 pm
THATS WHY I DON’T LIKE TO LISTEN TO THIS COWARD POLITICIAN AFTER OUR CITIZEN’S DEATH.
SORRY TO FEEL YOU BUT YOU ARE BRAVE.
JAY GUJARAT.
August 1st, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Hats offf……Mra. M.M. Anchalia and As always thanks to DeshGujarat for posting this expereince…….no channel like Aaj tak posted this story because they do not want any good side of ministers….as ministers tried to help ……..agar isse ulta hota to jarur chhapte…..but many manay thanks to Docotrs, nurses and all the staff members of Civil hospital…..
August 1st, 2008 at 3:59 pm
I m Rashmikant patel studyin in b’lore 4m a’bad.My msg is 4 our politician. Our politician should learn 4m ur story “when ter is a wheel there is a way”
jay jay garvi gujarat.
August 1st, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Rashmikantbhai read it properly. Politicians were helpful and were right there for help at the time of blast. Atleast three politicians who were helpful are mentioned above: Jadeja MLA, Vyas Health Minister and Modi the Chief Minister. Atleast in Gujarat we have not good but great politicians in bjp.
August 1st, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Wonderful article. Here is something more on Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas role on the same evening. I read this para on google news
On the day of blasts when Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas was entering the Civil Hospital through gate near U N Mehta Hospital, he had a second thought. He asked his driver to take another route and go to the office of the Superintendent of the Hospital. While he was getting down, he heard ear shattering sound. It was a blast near trauma centre. Had he taken the earlier route, his name would have been in the list of victims. This was the blast near the trauma centre that has taken more than 23 lives.
Vyas was in civil till 2 am in the Civil Hospital. The morning brought a personal tragedy. His mother-in-law undergoing treatment in Ahmedabad died. At the same time Chief Minister called for an urgent meeting of the Cabinet.
He took the body to Siddhapur, returned to Gandhinagar to attend the Cabinet and went back to attend funeral.
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Such are the Ministers of Modi government. Salam madom anchalia salam vyasji salam modiji salam all doctors and sevabhavi gujratis
August 2nd, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Great work by Mrs.M.M.Anchalia.. Modiji and Manimohansinghiji has also praised Supritendent and local MLA Jadeja for their work. great role played by Mr Vyas as well and this makes difference of Modiji’s ministry. last but not least.. thanks to deshgujarat to publish such real new and leads to inspired one.
August 2nd, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Hats off to Mrs. Anchalia , Pradipshinh Jadeja and Jaynarayan Vyas , We need more ministers and people like this , now my question is where were those so called rebel leaders like gordhan jadaphia and some faltoo when this blast happened , we were with Narendra modi, we are with Narendra modi and we will be with Narendra modi!!!!!!!
August 2nd, 2008 at 10:43 pm
I have no words to praise Mrs Anchalia and those who act like her. Mr Pradipshinh Jadeja did his MLA’s duty excellently, God bless him. Rajput samaj and BJP are proud of him.
The roots of these terrorists’ attacks are System of Election.
The roots of these terrorists’ attacks are friendship between criminal, Police and Politician. Honest Police officers, Politicians, Journalists social workers and public are helpless in front of this system.
This is the result of the CAST WISE SYSTEM of Elections.
People must act in elections according to qualities and not the cast.
People must find the honest and brave men or women for politicians. Those Politicians may be poor, rich, social workers or even journalists.
Voting systems that run in India according to cast wise are dangerous for our country. These systems must be stopped. These systems will only be changed by the people of India. If we wish to have peace in our country then all media must act on this subject. Politicians who are honest have never got to much money. I know most people always respect those who have money. People do not give respect to whom who are honest, who had no vote bank or who are poor, that’s wrong. If you are poor or have no vote bank power then you are not able to get a Ticket from the political party. Political party allocate tickets to the cast wise, money wise or muscle wise people and because of this type of system we have got so many problems, and as a result terrorists are born.
IT IS THE GOVERNMENT’S MORAL DUTY TO CHALLENGE THE TERRORISTS. WE CHALLENGED THE BRITISH AND LOST SO MANY PEOPLE BUT ULTIMATLY WE ARE INDEPENDENT. THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT CHALLENGING THEM.
THE CHIEF MINISTERS OF KARNATAKA & RAJESTHAN DID NOT CHALLENGE THE TERRORISTS AND THE BLASTS HAPPENED THERE AS WELL. SO THEREFORE, Chief Minister of Gujarat Mr NARENDRA MODI DID THE RIGHT THING BY CHALLENGING THEM BUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND THE JUDICIAL SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT ARE VERY WEAK AND THAT’S WHY THESE CRIMINALS ARE SUCCEEDING.
August 3rd, 2008 at 3:28 am
the people who knoe the real eligion and that is humanity,must hate this coward,impotent deed.i,am serious
but sure that if we can find really “MAUT KA SODAGAR ,HANG TO THE DEAH W/OHESITATION.” but
i,think until we have soniaji and “CHUDI DHARI” congress ,it is not going to happen.according to some body’s statement ifthis thing happened because
August 3rd, 2008 at 3:28 am
the people who knoe the real eligion and that is humanity,must hate this coward,impotent deed.i,am serious
but sure that if we can find really “MAUT KA SODAGAR ,HANG TO THE DEAH W/OHESITATION.” but
i,think until we have soniaji and “CHUDI DHARI” congress ,it is not going to happen.according to some body’s statement ifthis thing happened because
August 3rd, 2008 at 3:53 pm
My all dear friends now what to say?Only thing is that we should now recall Mr,Vanzaraji(real bravo).to co operate Mr,Modiji to get successed in getting Gujkok,so that moral of our police dept
can be up greaded to make them fearless(fear of procecutation after encounter) they are all the times ready to fight with the task but thier weapons have been ceased by central authority and by so lalled
NGOs,manav adhikar punch,sachar samiti,removing POTA-Gujkok,,,On what ground they can take risque.Great thanks to Mr,Modiji who has controlled the public of Guj.as not to take revenge .this has proved that he is not at all interested in making distance between two extreme communities.hope Mr,Laloo,Rajdeep,Ms Tista,Javed……can realise.Remady(Solution) is—-we the people who have some feelings,with the innocent lives who have lost thier lives in Ahmedabad bomb blast,,shoud come out without fear in the public to get pota and gujkok back to save our lives so as to enable our police dept to investigate the recent cruel happenings in Ahd-Guj.It is the time to recheck the so called great celebraties who were making great shoutings when real encounters were happening,where are those so called secularists today when inncent lives are lost in blast attack—Jago Hindustani Jago
September 22nd, 2008 at 7:45 am
jay jay garvi gujrat according to me gujkok save our life and decrease the criminls in gujrat and other state jay hind jay ho
September 22nd, 2008 at 7:55 am
jay hind gujkok is must be released because it feels like safeguarding in out side enviroment also all the cases of blast is must result converted into run fast process giving them hard punishment