top of page

By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Surgery saves boy who gulped tiny LED bulb

Mumbai : In a bizarre development, a small boy from Kolhapur swallowed a tiny LED light bulb a few months ago that got stuck deep in his...

Surgery saves boy who gulped tiny LED bulb

Mumbai : In a bizarre development, a small boy from Kolhapur swallowed a tiny LED light bulb a few months ago that got stuck deep in his lung causing huge trauma and emotional stress for his family, officials said.   When the unusual case was referred to the Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre (JHRC), a team of medicos successfully extricated the foreign object lodged in the three-and-half-year-old boy’s chest.   Recounting the remarkable feat, a JHRC official said the child, Aarav Patil was reported to be suffering from severe breathing difficulties and incessant coughing for almost three months.   Doctors treating him at his home town initially mistook it for pneumonia and subjected him to multiple courses of antibiotics and other medicines, but there was improvement in the boy’s condition.   Subsequently, he was taken for advanced tests, examinations and a CT Scan which revealed the shocker – a metallic object was sitting inside the boy’s left bronchus, partially blocking the airway.   More tests identified the offending object – it was a LED bulb from a toy car – a development so rare that even seasoned doctors described it as a ‘one in a million case’.   Though doctors in Kolhapur attempted to retrieve the foreign body through flexible bronchoscopy - a minimally invasive procedure - the attempts proved to be unsuccessful.   As Aarav’s condition appeared to deteriorate, his desperate family rushed him to JHRC and he was referred to a team of specialist doctors.   After studying his case and examining Aarav, the medical team comprising thoracic surgeon Dr. Vimesh Rajput, ENT surgeon Dr. Divya Prabhat and Dr. Anurag Jain discovered that the bulb had not only blocked the bronchus but had also embedded itself in the surrounding tissues of the lung tissue, making its removal extremely challenging.   A rigid bronchoscopy conducted further confirmed the severity of the obstruction. Left with no other option, the doctors decided to opt for a mini thoracotomy — a delicate surgery involving a 4-centimeter incision in the chest.   “This was one of the rarest cases we’ve encountered. The bulb was lodged in such a way that conventional methods could not retrieve it. Through careful planning and teamwork, we managed to safely remove the object by a mini thoracotomy and restored Aarav’s lung function,” explained Dr. Rajput.   Emphasising how such cases are ignored, Dr. Prabhat pointed out that chronic cough or breathing issues are often dismissed as common pneumonia or even asthma.   “However, such persistent symptoms must always be investigated thoroughly, especially through early detection and imaging which can make all the difference to the patient,” she averred.   JHRC CMO Dr. Milind Khadke said, “The foreign body aspiration in kids is far more common that parents may realise but quick intervention is critical to prevent long-term medical complications.”

Lording Over Satellite City

ree

In the nineties, Ganesh Naik was a formidable name in Belapur who enjoyed the mass support of the local community, especially the aagris. As a Shiv ‘Sainik’, he helped the party grow its base in the area and is known to have single-handedly run the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) or years with an iron fist, decimating opposition. In 2009, he quit the Sena to join the NCP with scores of his supporters following him into the party. But for a man who views political supremacy and electoral winnability as the most important criteria for a career in politics, he moved to the BJP exactly after a decade in 2019. He had lost the assembly elections in 2014 probably in the famous ‘Modi Wave’. Until then, Naik had been on a mega winning spree. AT that time, he took along almost 50 corporators from the municipal corporation, which underscores the value he brings to a party. Naik has proudly claimed to have controlled the NMMC since its inception in 1992.


Naik entered the state assembly in 1994 when he won from Thane with a record margin. It was the time when the Shiv Sena’s Anand Dighe was a formidable force in Thane and Naik got the support of the party cadre. After his fall-out with the Sena in 1999, he joined the NCP and won twice from Airoli. It is said Dighe had opposed him after the initial term. Naik has held several key portfolios in the state government including labour, environment and forests and the lucrative excise department. He was credited with introducing the concept of a Janata Darbar during his time with the Shiv Sena where, as a minister, he would routinely meet people, lend them a helping ear and solve their problems.


His sons Sandeep and Sanjeev are also active in the politics of Belapur-Airoli. Sanjeev became the first and the youngest mayor of the NMMC after its formation in 1992. In 2009, Sanjeev won the Parliamentary elections from Thane on an NCP ticket.


Naik’s other son Sandeep began his career as a corporator in the NMMC which his father unofficially controlled for decades. He was also elected unopposed as the chairman of the standing committee of NMMC. HE rose to prominence after winning the 2009 assembly elections. The family runs several social initiatives in the region of Belapur-Airoli.


In 2024, the father-son duo threatened to quit the BJP if both weren’t given a nomination for the assembly elections. They were considering the NCP (SP) and the Shiv Sena (UBT). Given their political clout, the BJP nominated both, Ganesh and Sandeep to avoid losing ground in the area.

Comments

bottom of page