Bangalore ATM attack: Jyothi out of ICU, says waiting to get back home

Bangalore: Ten days after the horrific incident, Jyothi Udaykumar, a Corpora­tion Bank manager, who was assaulted by a gun and machete wielding man at an ATM kiosk in the early morning of November 19, was finally wheeled out of the Neuro Intenstive Care Unit (NICU) at BGS Global Hospital on Friday.

“I am happy that I am recovering. I thank everyone for the support. I am just waiting to go back home soon,” said Jyothi. These were the first few words Jyothi spoke to the media at the hospital when she was brought out for a while from her ward. Though she could not speak much, Jyothi seemed to be recovering and conscious.

She was hit hard on her head with the machete, and as bone fragments were embedded in her brain she had to undergo a major neurosurgery, performed by a team of specialists at BGS Global Hospital. The bone fragments were rem­oved from her brain, the brain covering was rep­a­i­red, and the fractured skull bones were reset. Jyothi had to undergo another surgery for the reconstruction of her nose and the cuts on both her cheeks which was also taken care of by the plastic surgery unit at the hospital.

Dr N.K. Venkatara­mana, Chief Neurosur­geon and Vice-Chairman, BGS Global Hospitals, said, “Jyothi is recovering very quickly. The wounds which she had sustained following the attack are healing well and her pain has subsided considerably. She is conscious, alert and is speaking normally and her emotional stability is back. Above all, the sensation on the right side of her body is recovering and she is getting back her leg movement and this itself is a very good sign. She is now on physiotherapy and rehabilitation procedures. We will check for another one week and then she might be discharged, which depends on her recovery. But it will take a few months before she returns to normal.”

Jyothi’s husband Uday Kumar told DC, “We have not discussed about the incident with Jyothi as per the instructions of doctors. She has not met our daughter since the incident. She is longing to get back home.”

Following the incident, State Home Minister K.J. George visited Jyothi at the hospital and promised all help, but nothing has been done till now, he said. “Jyothi’s employer, Corp­o­r­ation Bank, has reimbursed the hospital bills when we presented them.”