New Delhi: The story of rescued mountaineer Anurag Maloo has taken a miraculous turn. He is conscious, recovering, and has been moved to Delhi to undergo further medical treatment.
Maloo was airlifted from Kathmandu on 10 May and brought to Delhi, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the All India Institute of Medical Science’s (AIIMS) Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Center.
He was accompanied by a team of doctors and his brother Ashish on the plane.
Speaking to ThePrint, Maloo’s friends and family expressed relief and confirmed that he is on the road to recovery.
“Watching him leave the hospital (in Kathmandu) was the best feeling,” said Prateek Gupta, founder and CEO of Adventure Sports Cover (ASC) 360, the insurance company that Maloo used.
Gupta had helped coordinate the efforts for Maloo’s rescue. “He still has a long way to go, but this is truly the fourth miracle of his survival”— the first three miracles being that the mountaineer from Kishangarh had been found, was alive and then rescued.
On 20 April, Maloo was rescued from a deep crevasse on Mt. Annapurna in Nepal and airlifted to a hospital in Pokhara. He was later transferred to Mediciti Hospital in Kathmandu for further treatment. His condition has been gradually improving and his vitals are stable, but he will continue receiving medical treatment for frostbite in Delhi.
“It was very, very emotional,” said Gupta about Maloo’s return to India.
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A rocky recovery
Maloo is currently unable to speak or make any sounds but is still able to comprehend and communicate effectively with those around him.
Towards the end of April, he had regained consciousness and was given the green light to pursue further treatment in India. AIIMS Delhi confirmed his approval for treatment on the following day.
Over the next two days, Maloo’s family and insurance team worked to arrange the necessary documentation. Meanwhile, Maloo expressed his eagerness to return home as soon as possible, displaying signs of frustration and irritation, said family and friends.
On 9 May, when Gupta had visited the hospital in Kathmandu to see Maloo, it was a touching and emotional meeting. Maloo recognised Gupta instantly and attempted to speak, but no words came out. Gupta said that Maloo instead repeated the phrase “thank you” repeatedly, expressing his gratitude silently.
He then gestured that he would like to take a selfie with Gupta.
Maloo’s friends and family told ThePrint that apart from there being a tangible sense of relief, the atmosphere in the hospital was jubilant following his transfer approval to AIIMS. The nurses who had been caring for him even arranged a farewell party in his honour.
Upon being discharged, Maloo was brought to a temple across from the hospital’s emergency ward and waiting for him there were his parents and a gathering of close friends and family.
Together, they offered prayers before taking a large group photo with the doctors and nurses who had provided care and treatment for Maloo. After this, Maloo gestured and asked for ice-cream and lemonade — a sign that his hunger and humour were both returning to normal.
Against all odds
Maloo has a lot of catching up to do. He is overwhelmed and emotional, but mostly grateful, said friends and family.
He was under the impression that fellow mountaineer and friend Baljeet Kaur — who was also rescued from Mt. Annapurna on 18 April — had died. He had crossed paths with Kaur on the mountain on 16 April, but Kaur had been declared missing right before Maloo’s own fall into the crevasse.
ThePrint had earlier reported the complicated rescue missions for both Kaur and Maloo.
Their interaction over a WhatsApp call Wednesday was incredibly emotional, said Gupta, who also co-ordinated Kaur’s rescue mission. While expressing relief over his ongoing recovery, she also chided him for being in this situation.
Maloo can’t wait to go back to his home in Kishangarh, Rajasthan. His birthday is in June, and he’s all ready to celebrate his new lease on life.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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