'We Were NEET Students Once': Volunteer Doctors on Front Lines at Jantar Mantar

“An image I can’t get out of my head is watching young, injured kids being trampled that day,” says Dr Shilip Chandra, a 26-year-old general physician, referring to the lathi charge and tear gas used by security forces to disperse protesters on 20 July, Monday during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march where protesters decided to move from the designated protest site in Jantar Mantar to the Parliament to make their voices heard.

“Some of them were from the police itself. It was really hard to watch. I just felt so helpless watching the violence because there was nothing I could do in the moment during all the chaos except flee myself,” adds Dr Shilpi.

Dr Shilpi has been volunteering at the site since 18 July, and added that at first she and her colleagues were mainly providing basic first aid and tending to those on hunger strike, including activist Sonam Wanchuk. “There were very few doctors at that time.”

But, on 20 July, things took a turn.

“Here, we can only bandage minor injuries, provide first aid, and administer painkillers. When it comes to life-threatening injuries and seriously injured patients, there isn’t much we can do here,” says Dr Keyur, a resident at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML), who has been volunteering at the protest site between his shifts.

This also happens to be where many of those seriously injured in the clashes are being taken for treatment. “The best thing we can do is stabilise them and shift them to a hospital,” he says.

There have also been reports of police personnel being injured during the clashes, with many taken to RML Hospital for treatment alongside injured protesters. However, doctors say the number of critically injured protesters far exceeds that of injured police personnel.

They tell The Quint that most police personnel treated there had mainly suffered soft tissue injuries and minor abrasions. In contrast, many of the students brought in had sustained severe trauma.

Over 100 protesters were reportedly brought to RML Hospital on Monday afternoon with a range of serious and minor injuries. Of these, doctors said, at least 30-40 cases involved head injuries.

Four protesters have also sustained serious injuries caused by pellet guns, including a 19-year-old who is reportedly likely to lose his eyesight on one side. However, the Delhi Police denies these claims.

“What they (Police and RAF) did was horrible. I witnessed it in front of my eyes,” adds Ansh, a 25-year-old MBBS student in Romania who is here on leave, and has been participating in the protest since 19 July.