BARIPADA: Life was hunky-dory for Raju and his parents till the four-year-old was diagnosed with ‘Hydrocephalus’. All he needs is immediate specialist care.
A tribal couple from Gobindapur village under Shyamakhunta block of Mayurbhanj district is running from pillar to post to get their only son cured. After having provided him the maximum care they can afford, his father Chandra Singh now looks for succour.
“The disorder began when he was a two-year-old. His head started swelling and he expressed acute pain. We consulted local doctors who provided some relief but it did not last long,” said his daily wager father.
Raju again fell ill and complained of pain in the head. He was again rushed to the nearby Rangamatia health centre and treated. From rural quacks to the local primary health centre, the poor couple have exhausted all their fortune for curing the child but in vain.
Doctors said Hydrocephalus occurs due to a problem with the flow of the fluid that surrounds the brain. Physician PK Saloram Hansda said the disease is either congenital or acquired. “In Raju’s case it is not congenital,” he said.
The boy now needs to be treated by a specialist and has to undergo surgery, which is very expensive. “When I am struggling hard to maintain the five-member family, how can I visit a specialist,” questioned Chandra.
The couple who are living in distress and have no regular source of income have appealed for financial assistance to meet the treatment cost. None has yet come to our rescue. I am scared of my son’s future, he said.