Nilam Tanaji Shinde, the young woman from Maharashtra’s Satara district is currently battling for her life in a hospital in California in the United States after she suffered critical injuries in a road accident. Ms Shinde is currently in a coma, and her family is seeking the Centre’s help to get an American visa immediately as doctors need permission from her blood relatives to operate on her.

According to her father Tanaji Shinde, Ms Shinde had gone to America for higher education and was a fourth-year student at California State University.

Events Leading To Accident

Per Ms Shinde’s family, she met with an accident on February 14, while she was out on an evening walk. It was a case of hit-and-run, the car hit her from behind, leading to serious injuries to both her arms, legs, head and chest, the family said.

After the accident, the 35-year-old woman was admitted to C Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California, where she is undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit.

“She has gone into a coma due to a blow to the chest,” the family said, who learnt of the accident two days later from Ms Shinde’s roommate.

In the wake of her condition, the hospital reportedly sent an e-mail to the family, asking them to come to the US as soon as possible.

The hospital needed permission to operate on her brain, her family said, adding that Ms Shinde was on the verge of death and the hospital administration could not take any risk unless there was a blood relative.

“We got to know about the accident on February 16 and have been trying for a visa since then. But we haven’t got it yet,” her father, Tanaji Madhav Shinde said.

Ms Shinde lost her mother a year ago to a brain tumour.

Later speaking to NDTV, her uncle Sanjay Kadam informed that there had been an improvement in Ms Shinde’s condition on Thursday.

“Brain pressure has reduced since yesterday and is normal now. Her blood pressure has also increased and is normal, but she is still in a coma,” he said.

Police Action So Far

According to information, the driver behind the wheel of the car that hit Ms Shinde has been taken into police custody.

However, law enforcement officials also face legal difficulties in registering a case into the matter without the presence of any blood relative of the victim.