Safety:  38-year-old man who was hit by an arrow on the forehead on February 15 is now in stable condition at Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) in Thimphu.

The man was rushed to the emergency after he was hit by an arrow from a compound bow at a local game at Dodena.

Medical superintendent Dr Gosar Pemba said that the patient was brought into the emergency room with the arrow sticking on his forehead.

“The arrow had penetrated about three centimetres into his forehead,” said Dr Gosar Pemba. He added that since a foreign body had entered the patient’s head and injured some parts of his brain, complications such as infections and seizures might arise later for the patient.

According to victim’s attendant, the arrow hit him when one of the players lost his grip on his bow and released the arrow before the victim could move aside. “He had crossed the safety line near the target when the accident happened.”

This is the first case of person hit by arrow this year. The number of such accidents recorded at the hospital in the past year suggests that the national game could be dangerous if precautions are not taken.

JDWNRH reported nine such cases last year. One of the individual was referred out of the country for treatment. In 2014, 10 cases of injury from arrow and khuru were recorded.

Dr Gosar Pemba said that two people died after they were hit by arrow last year.

“Precautions and safety measures are essential in the games that involve threat to the human life,” said Dr Gosar Pemba.

Younten Tshedup