KAKINADA: Three members of a family from Kadali village at Razole mandal in East Godavari district confined themselves to their hut for the past 15 months fearing Covid-19. The family of five, including three women, had been living with whatever they had. While the women did not dare venture out, the men did, prior to the second wave of Covid this year. As their food stocks depleted, their health condition deteriorated.
The issue came to light when a village volunteer noticed they were not coming out even to avail of government schemes and informed the sarpanch. Police and health workers rushed to the village and found the family members emaciated and mentally depressed. After much persuasion, they managed to bring them out and shifted them to a government hospital for treatment.
According to Kadali village sarpanch Choppala Gunanadh, John Benny (50) and his 29-year-old son Chinababu run a cycle repair shop in the village square. Benny and his wife Ruthamma (45) have two daughters, Kanthamani (30), and Rani (32).
In March last year, a woman died of Covid in front of Benny’s hut and the entire family were afraid they might face the same fate. The three women decided to self-isolate, while the father and son would go out to work taking all precautions. Suspecting something was wrong, the volunteer alerted Asha workers. Doctors treating them said they were not suffering from any disease, but due to lack of proper food, were severely malnourished and psychologically depressed.