Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 2: With growing demand for ban on use of pellet guns, a medicos’ body, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today said that pellets are as dangerous as bullets.
Voicing concern over unabated use of these deadly weapons against protesters, the DAK president, Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan said the pellets have caused serious injuries and have resulted in several deaths.
“We received patients with pellet injuries having cardiac perforation, liver tear, gut laceration, intracranial bleeding and hemoperitoneum. On July 10, 24 year old male from Pulwama died at SMHS hospital in whom pellets had pierced chest wall and made holes in his heart,” he said.
In another young male, from south Kashmir spray of pellets had penetrated skull bones and shattered his brain and he died in no time, he said, adding that many patients required intensive surgeries due to severe life-threatening penetrating pellet injuries.
Dr Nisar said: “A young female aged 25 years is now paraplegic for life as pellets damaged her spinal cord. In addition her intestines were removed after an extensive surgery as she had multiple gut perforations due to pellets. Another young male had his pancreas damaged as pellets pierced his abdomen to hit his deep-seated vital organ.”
In an estimate, since 2010 more than 1500 persons have been disabled by pellets. Various studies and several case reports in medical literature have revealed that pellets cause grave injuries resulting in death and disability, added Dr Nisar.