Upper arm fracture in a mototaxi
23-year-old Roxana*, hailing from Limatambo, was doing her errands with her baby and dog. After a while she decided to take a mototaxi. Holding her baby on her left arm she clambered into the back seat. But dogs can be very headstrong: her dog had absolutely no intention of joining his mistress in the cabin. So Roxana decided to let him follow on the long lead. He who spurns the taxi has to run alongside the motor tricycle.
Then happened what had to happen. The group passed a lamppost, the dog on its right-side, the mototaxi on its left. Then a loud crack was heard and the arm that was hanging out of the window holding the lead fractured due to the leverage of brute force.
In an operation that lasted several hours Dr Lukas Steffen – assisted by Dr Benjamin Zeier and operating-nurse Janet – could mend the complicated fracture.
The question of guilt cannot be answered definitely. Dogs are no moral beings and cannot be prosecuted for misconduct in court. Perhaps the taxi-driver had steered his vehicle too far on the right or had the city administration erected the lamppost at an unfortunate location. But be that as it may, in future Roxana must assert herself over her dog. We are definitely glad that our medical team was able to help her. (*Name changed)
