One of the beds at the Lok Nayak Hospital in the national capital has two patients with their legs wrapped in plasters- 11-month old Zikra and Pari, her favourite doll.
Having fractured her leg after falling from bed, Zikra was rushed to the hospital where the doctors prescribed putting her on gallows traction - a method used for children under two years of age. But the baby refused any kind of treatment, putting the doctors in a quandary.
Its then that her parents came out with the novel idea of bringing Pari to the hospital.
Doctors at the hospital first treated Pari, and then Zikra. They plastered the doll's legs, after which Zikra agreed to receive treatment, the Indian Express reported.
Dr Ajay Gupta, Professor of Orthopedic at Lok Nayak Hospital in Delhi: An 11-month-old girl suffering from a fracture was refusing treatment so her mother gave us idea to pretend to treat her doll first, as child is very close to the doll. It worked well & patient felt comforted. pic.twitter.com/I9JBh6ZsI6— ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2019
"On the first day at the hospital, she wasn't ready to lie down on the bed. She kept moving and doctors asked us to keep her legs straight for proper alignment. Then I asked my husband to get her favourite doll to the hospital. We just thought of putting Pari in the same position as Zikra - and it worked," the mother, Fareen was quoted as saying by the daily.
Zikra who is now recovering well and Pari have become the talk of the hospital with people at the ward calling her “gudiya waali bachi (the girl with the doll)”.
"The child took it in a positive light that her friend was also undergoing similar treatment. It has also lifted the atmosphere in the hospital as it is usually a place where people are in suffering or pain," said Dr Ajay Gupta, one of the doctors at the hospital.