New Delhi, Apr 23: The medical superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital, where the Dec 16, 2012 gang-rape victim was treated for 10 days, told a Delhi court Tuesday that the victim was shifted to a Singapore hospital as it had the "best" critical care and organ transplant facility.
The doctor deposed as a prosecution witness before Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna that the decision to shift the victim to Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore was taken as it had the best treatment for critical care.
The 23-year-old physiotherapy student was air-lifted to Singapore to provide better treatment, where she later died due to multiple organ failure.
The doctor, during cross-examination by accused Pawan's counsel, said: "The treating doctors had contacted the doctors at Mount Elizabeth Hospital and they were ready to accept the patient in such a condition."
"Since the Mount Elizabeth Hospital has the best facility for best critical care and also for organ transplant, if required, so the decision was taken to transfer the patient," he said, adding that organ transplant facility was not available at Safdarjung Hospital.
He said he had no knowledge if organ transplant was also available at a private hospital in Gurgaon.
The medical superintendent said: "There was no time for us to take formal permission from the health ministry to shift the patient abroad. I had not engaged myself to provide other support, like visa, passport and financial help to the victim to be taken abroad."
The 23-year-old woman was brutally tortured and gang-raped in a moving bus by five men and a juvenile. She later died in the Singapore hospital.
The juvenile is facing proceedings before a Juvenile Justice Board, while the other accused were put up for trial in the fast track court. One of the accused, Ram Singh, is dead, having allegedly committed suicide in jail.
