Acid Violence
We want to win this battle!
Though the number of acid violence has reduced over the last two years, the war on acid violence still rages on. We have been able to contain acid violence by deterrent measures but a change in the attitude
of the people is required the most...
writes Kishore Kumar Das
She was born a girl and that’s why she had to pay the penalty; her father tried to kill her by pouring acid into her mouth.
The name of the innocent girl that sparked hatred both nationally and internationally is Bably and now she is five years and three months but cannot talk clearly because her mouth has been partially burnt by acid. When her father tried to kill her, she was only seven months old.
On the night of July 15, 2000, Babli’s mother Parul Akhter saw her husband Bakhter Rana feeding her daughter some form of liquid with a dropper and when she asked what he was feeding the baby, Bakhter replied that it was medicine and having said that hurriedly went out of the room.
Bably vomitted the liquid on her mother and this injured the mother’s hand. The acid destroyed her tongue inside the mouth and left ear, knee and perineum outside.
Parul said that, as she gave birth to a girl her husband never accepted it and did not even allow her to breast feed the baby.
But the grotesque and inhuman incident surrounding Babli is not an isolated case. In fact, similar events take place in different parts of the country, only, in most cases we are not informed of them.
Denial to proposals of marriage and disputes related to land are two main causes that lead to acid attack and the main target is the face because any disfigurement on this part usually results in the ostracisation of the victim.
The corrosive chemical that apparently looks like a harmless clear fluid burns the skin deep and as the fluid trickles over other body parts destroying tissue on its way, it should be neutralised or diluted within seconds. Unfortunately, in most cases, it’s too late and disfiguring scars become an inevitability. Over time the pain of the physical injury is compounded by psychological trauma and social embarrassment which contribute to making the victim, literally paralysed.
According to a survey conducted by Women for Women: A research and study group, about 50 percent victims were adolescent girls just stepping into their women hood and in most of these cases the victim in question knew the attacker.
Although incidences of acid throwing seem to be decreasing steadily in the country, much more needs to be done.
According to Acid Survivor Foundation, an NGO helping acid victims, in recent years the acid throwing was highest in 2002, when a total of 484 people were burn by the corrosive chemical. However, after that the numbers of acid violence incidence has declined gradually. In 2003, 410 acid victims were reported, in 2004, the numbers of victims were 322 and up to February 7, 2005, 31 people suffered acid burns.
Though most of the victims (about 50%) are young females, there are a lot of men (20% to 30%) who are victims of acid attack. The rest are children, the ASF data showed.
Dolly was fifteen years old when she was attacked on her way back home from a school in Tangail and this happened because she refused to marry a village outlaw. Initially, she was hopeful of getting better and bringing the culprit to justice. Now in her twenties, when she sees her face she realizes nothing would be as before.
In response to the growing outcry against violence against women, the Bangladesh government enacted “The Women and Child Repression Control Act-1995,” which stipulated the death penalty as the maximum punishment for perpetrators of acid attacks.
The ministry of law has modified the Act on Prevention of Women and Child Abuse (95) to ‘Acid Control Act 2002’ and ‘Acid Crime Control Act 2002’.
A trend observed by NGOs shows that acid violence is not taking place in the same villages where it took place in recent years and it’s speculated that people in those areas might have learnt the devastating effect of the apparently clear fluid.
In addition, it’s also believed that a lot of police activities and conviction in some cases have brought changes in the peoples’ mind about acid throwing.
Dr Rebecca Milton, manager medical unit of the Acid Survivor Foundation said that in the Southern District of Satkhira, there were a lot of acid violence but since the ASF and its local partner NGOs started campaigning against acid violence in the district, the number of incidences reduced significantly over the last couple of years. She, however, said there were more efforts needed to stop this violent crime in the country.
Dr Rebecca also highlighted on the psychological trauma that the victim suffers as a result of acid violence. ‘Most victims never get out of that mental agony and eventually become psychologically imbalanced,’ she commented.
‘Acid throwing is prevalent in many countries but Bangladesh was the first country to act against acid violence and its legislators did not hesitate to expose the violent act to its own public and to the outside world,’ said Ronald William Hiles, a British Plastic Surgeon who has been visiting the country regularly for the last 25 years. He said that acid violence is present in many countries in Asia and Africa but not many countries regarded it as a problem.
‘There is one acid survivor foundation in Uganda and one is opening in Pakistan soon. India also has the problem but nobody knows to what extent. Unlike Bangladesh, In Uganda, acid violence is an issue that involves women against women,’ Dr Hiles said.
‘As I feel empathy towards these victims, I come every year to help them,’ he added. Dr Hiles is at present working at the burn and plastic surgery unit of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
‘Sadly, acid burn victims never get work, never get married, are considered a burden on their own family and have to live independently in a community which is generally apathetic,’ said Dr Samonta Lal Sen, a plastic surgeon conversant with the acid violence scenario in Bangladesh. ‘No surgery can bring the acid burnt face to its previous position. Surgery can reduce the carnage caused by acid but total treatment is not possible,’ he observed.
Though the trend is declining, NGO personals and medical experts do not want to claim it a success as yet. Wide media campaign, strong law against acid attacks with some exemplary punishments in the past few years has contributed a lot and hopefully in the coming years more people will come to realise that acid violence is not only savage but in contravention to whatever that stands for civility.
Slipped disc
What is a disc?
The spine is made up of the vertebrae (the bones making up the spine), which have cartilage discs between them. The discs consist of a circle of connective tissue with a central gel-like core. This makes the spine flexible and at the same time acts as a protective buffer.
In the centre of this column of vertebrae and discs is the spinal canal, which contains the spinal cord stretching from the brain-stem down to the first or second lumbar vertebra. It continues as a bundle of nerve fibres called the cauda equina stretching down towards the sacrum, which is the extension of the spine. Between each vertebra, the spinal cord has nerve root connections to other parts of the body.
The spine is divided into three parts:
l neck (cervical vertebrae)
l chest (thoracic vertebrae)
l the lower back (lumbar vertebrae).
The spine is connected to the ribs at the chest.
What is a slipped disc?
A slipped disc is when the soft part of the disc bulges through the circle of connective tissue. This prolapse may push on the spinal cord or on the nerve roots. However, it is worth noting that 20 per cent of the population have slipped discs without experiencing any noticeable symptoms.
The term ‘slipped disc’ does not really describe the process properly - the disc does not actually slip out of place, but bulges out towards the spinal cord.
What is the cause of a slipped disc?
A slipped disc occurs due to the breaking down of the circle of connective tissue with advancing age. This causes a weakness allowing the soft part to swell.
Slipped discs most often affect the lower back and are relatively rare in the chest part of the spine.
It is possible that hard physical labour can increase the likelihood of a slipped disc. They are also occasionally seen following trauma such as an injury from a fall or a road traffic accident.
At what age can a slipped disc occur?
A slipped disc in the lower back is most often seen between the ages of 30 and 50. In the cervical vertebrae around the neck, slipped discs are most often seen between the ages of 40 and 60.
What are the symptoms of a slipped disc?
A slipped disc can be symptom free. If it causes pain, it is primarily due to the pressure on the nerve roots, the spinal cord or the cauda equina.
Symptoms of nerve root pressure
Paralysis of single muscles, possibly with pain radiating to the arms or legs. There may also be a disturbance of feeling in the limbs.
Symptoms of pressure on the spinal cord
Disturbance of feeling, muscle spasms or paralysis in the part of the body below the spinal cord pressure. For example, pressure on the spinal cord in the chest area will cause spasms in the legs but not in the arms. Pressure on the spinal cord may cause problems with control of the bladder.
Symptoms of pressure on the cauda equina
The symptoms can include loss of control of the bladder function, disturbance of feeling in the rectum and the inside of the thighs and paralysis of both legs. These are serious symptoms and anyone developing them should contact a doctor immediately. (They are so-called ‘red flag’ symptoms.)
How does the doctor make a diagnosis?
It is possible to make a diagnosis from the patient’s history and the doctor’s physical examination. In many cases it is possible to determine which disc is affected. This can be confirmed either by a CT scan, MRI scan or a myelography - an injection into the spinal cord canal. The doctor will decide which examination is necessary.
It is important to make a correct diagnosis because several other diseases have similar symptoms. Any ‘red flag’ symptoms must be acted upon without delay.
How is a slipped disc treated?
It is generally agreed that a slipped disc should be treated conservatively, with surgery being considered only when other approaches to treatment have failed. The treatment will typically mean a brief period of bed-rest with appropriate painkillers. Physiotherapy or chiropractic treatment should also be explored. Whether to have an operation or not, is a decision for a specialist.
When there are symptoms of pressure on the spinal cord or on the cauda equina, an operation should be performed as soon as possible.
Cases involving serious or increasing paralysis should be treated as an emergency and admitted to hospital for assessment immediately.
When there are changes in the symptoms, a doctor should be consulted. Significant changes in bladder habits or control, increasing paralysis of the limbs or muscle spasticity should always receive immediate medical assessment.
— Discovery Health
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