New Delhi: Undaunted by the acid attack on her in a December morning, a 30-year-old doctor of the ESI Hospital is moving ahead in life. In her father's words, "She has been strong and confident all throughout." The woman, who had been undergoing treatment at Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences in AIIMS, was discharged on Wednesday and is at home with her parents.

"Of course she is hurt because the person responsible for what she is going through today is none but her batch-mate, who was also a good friend... But then she is positive and is moving ahead with confidence," said her father, a DIG in the Border Security Force (BSF). Even the doctors who treated her said she has shown "tremendous positive spirit and fortitude" which helped her recover fast.

"She is very brave and has shown remarkable fortitude and positive spirit that has helped her recover substantially as she had quite grave injuries and normally we don't expect such a speedy recovery. She also has a very strong family support," said Additional Professor of Ophthalmology and cornea expert Tushar Agarwal.

However, the woman, who thanked the doctors for their care, refused to make any statement. "I have gone through enough and I only know what I have gone through," she said. At the time of admission, she had Grade-IV chemical injury in the right eye and chemical burns on the right side of her face. "She underwent three procedures in the right eye including amniotic membrane transplantation (once) and ProKera implantation (twice) in the right eye," said Dr Agarwal.

"At discharge, her right cornea and conjunctiva are fully epithelialised. She has regained partial vision in the right eye and continues to show improvement," said AIIMS spokesperson Amit Gupta.

In view of the severity of her injuries, she will require long-term follow-up, Gupta added. Dr Manish Singhal, a plastic surgeon, is treating the facial damages of the patient according to whom her facial injuries are also showing signs of healing.

On December 23, when the woman was on her way to work two bike-borne men threw acid on her in Rajouri Garden area. Later police arrested four persons, including the woman's batch-mate who was the mastermind of the entire episode.

Source: