BHUBANESWAR: A BPL family, living on the outskirts of the Capital City, is on the verge of resorting to begging for sustenance. After spending lakhs of rupees for treatment of paralytic head of the family, they are left with no saving while no help is forthcoming from Government sources including the Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell.
Tulu Lenka of Jokolandi village in Bharatpur, on outskirts of the City, met with an accident near Tangi Chandpur on February 15. He was rushed to the Capital Hospital and then SCB Medical College in Cuttack. At both the places, the doctors advised Tulu’s family to shift him to a private hospital for better treatment.
A seriously injured Tulu was finally admitted to the SUM Hospital here. He was diagnosed with brain injury and has been paralysed since then. Mason by profession, 32-year-old Tulu’s family includes his wife, two children and old mother. Following the accident, Tulu’s aging mother Kumari Lenka pulled all her resources for treatment of her son, the only bread earner of the family. She also took loans to meet Tulu’s medical expenses.
After exhausting her own sources, Kumari has been running from pillar to post seeking financial help from Government authorities, but to no avail. Her application submitted at the Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell also failed to help her.
The officials of the grievance cell told her that the hospital, where Tulu was undergoing treatment, has been delisted from the panel of private hospitals eligible for Odisha State Treatment Fund (OSTF). Hence, no help could be extended to Tulu.
Kumari had also filed an application at the Khurda Collectorate where she got an assurance of an assistance of Rs10,000. But, the fund is yet to be released.
“An official of the Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell turned down my application stating that my son will not be eligible for a grant. We have taken a hand loan of over `three lakh for Tulu’s treatment. Now, we can neither repay the loan nor manage our daily expenses. Seeking alms seems to be our only alternative,” said Kumari.