Page 168 - Demo

At home in Vizianagaram the whole community was shell-shocked %u2013 special prayers were held in temples, mosques and churches for his recovery and good health. As days went by, PVG Raju continued to be in a coma and the doctors were unable to offer a definite prognosis. There even was a period when he became very critical %u2013 the family and advisors lost hope and thought that maybe it would be better to take him back to Vizianagaram, even though the doctors didn't advise it %u2013 so that he could pass away peacefully at home.Through all this Chief Minister Pratap Singh Kairon, also a friend of PVG Raju, was a regular visitor along with his wife %u2013 to enquire with the doctors and to give courage to the family. Besides this, members of the former Princely States of Punjab and Himachal frequently called on the family to stand by them in this traumatic time. PVG Raju's mother was from here and they had strong ties to the region. In June when PVG Raju came out of his coma %u2013 there was jubilation in the family that finally he was on his way back to normalcy. Though conscious he was still hazy and unable to grasp things %u2013 after a few days he lapsed back into the coma. The doctors suspected that his brain's exposure to the elements in the immediate aftermath of the accident may have triggered a meningeal infection.Feeling that the medical team in attendance needed strengthening, a specialist on brain trauma from Canada was brought in %u2013 and on behalf of the Andhra Pradesh Government, a neuro physician from Hyderabad was also stationed there. These experts too felt that he was receiving the best possible treatment and there was nothing to do but watch and wait.154