When German national Reimund Dieter was brought to hospital on March 9, he was a grotesque sight.
His face was mangled pulp — every bone in his head was either crushed or broken and there was a gaping crack in his skull.
Today, after two marathon surgeries that lasted over 14 hours, Reimund, 46, is able to sit up and talk.
His face, still quite swollen and deformed, takes on an unmistakable expression when he insists that never again would he travel without his seatbelt on.
“We receive hundreds of head-injury patients every year — most of them bike riders who had not been wearing helmets,” said Dr K. Sridhar, head of the department of neurosurgery at the center.
“India has the highest rate of head injury. Every day, at least 50,000 people are reported to suffer head injuries. Head injury is the sixth most common cause of death in our country,” he said.
Stressing that the city traffic police need to strictly implement the helmet rule and also make wearing seatbelts mandatory.
Reimund, speaking through a mouth full of wires holding his broken jaw together, said that the 12-hour facial reconstruction surgery that was performed on him has made him look a lot like himself.
However, it would take several months for his facial muscles and tissues to heal and at least one month before he can eat semi-solid food.
Caption— neurosurgeon Dr K Sridhar introduces Samrat (left) and Reimund Dieter at a meeting held on the last day of the Head injury awareness campaign in the city.