Santosh Andhale/ Mumbai Mirror
Pics by Rons Bantwal

Mumbai, Jul 11: Once a month, Priti Sawant brings her 3-and-a-half-year-old daughter Prachiti to Hinduja Hospital to meet her father Parag who has been in coma after suffering severe brain damage in the July 11, 2006 terror attack on Western Railway (WR) locals.

Priti says, “My daughter now understands that once a month, she has a date with her papa. She calls out to him at the hospital. But when she asks me when her father will return home, I have no answer. I just pray to God to help Parag come back home soon.”

Loksabha opposition leader Sushma Swaraj visited Parag Sawant at the Hinduja Hospital on the occasion of 4th anniversary of 11/7 Mumbai Tiran bomb blast.  Kitit Somaiya, Gopal Shetty and others can be seen.

Bhayandar resident Parag, then 28 years old, was in the first class compartment of a Virarbound local when a blast occurred near Mira Road. At that time, Priti was five months pregnant.

Two years ago, she was given a job as a Class IV employee in the WR divisional manager’s office at Mumbai Central. She has since enrolled with the Yashwantrao Chavan Open University for a degree in arts. Every day, she drops Prachiti at her parents’ home nearby before leaving for work. She picks her up on her way home around 8 pm.

Parag’s parents, Jayprakash and Madhuri, help Priti in ensuring that a family member is present in the hospital round-the-clock.

“WR and doctors at Hinduja Hospital have been very helpful. When I had to travel to work, memories of the bomb blast made me feared travelling by trains, but I have now gotten used to it. Every patient at the hospital enquires about Parag’s health when they leave,” she says. “I want to forget the past, but cannot. Parag, his family and Prachiti need me. Whenever I get time, I go to meet Parag. I think he can now recognise our family and Prachiti. We talk to him regularly. We do not know how long it will take for him to recover fully, but the doctors are taking good care of him and we are thankful to them for that.”

Dr Gustad Davar, director of medical services at Hinduja Hospital, said that WR has been paying for Parag’s treatment.

Dr Basant Mishra, head of the hospital’s neurosurgery department, said, “Parag’s condition is improving with the supportive care and rehabilitation programme. We are now giving him regular physiotherapy.”