Manoj Bhoi (22) of Khariar in Nuapada district is waiting for a miracle to happen to save his life. He is struggling with pain due to bone cancer on the right hip.
“The doctors in AIIMS, New Delhi have said that to save the life of his son, the leg has to be removed. But after spending more than Rs2.5 lakh in his treatment, I have withdrawn,” said Arjun Bhoi, father of Manoj. The doctors confirmed about the cancer after Arjun became penniless by spending money in lodging, transportation and medical tests in Delhi.
“I stayed there for more than two months with the hope that my son would get well, but in the last week of my stay they confirmed about the cancer and advised for amputation,” he added.
Arjun was informed that the operation would be done free of cost, but he would have to pay for radio-therapy and medicines, which would cost about Rs25,000. And in addition, the cost of staying at Delhi and transportation for two more months would be more than Rs50,000. Arjun became helpless and decided to return to his home leaving everything to fate.
Manoj’s journey towards the doom started on June 6 last. He remembers well how he returned home from the cricket field when he felt pain on the thigh. He consulted with the doctor, got X-ray done but no problem was detected. Two days later, he fell down at home and his thigh developed a fracture on the same place. He was admitted in the district headquarters hospital for treatment, which referred him to the VSSMC, Burla. From VSSMC, he was shifted to SCB Medical College of Cuttack on June 10. Suspecting cancer, the doctors in SCB referred him to Acharya Harihar Cancer Centre. But, the doctors after all tests done could not confirm about the disease. Then he was advised to go to the Apollo, Bhubaneswar. In these four months, Arjun spent about Rs1 lakh and the outcome was nothing. Manoj was no more in a position to move on his own. “I finally decided to take my son to AIIMS, Delhi,” said Arjun.
Reaching at Delhi, Arjun tried to get help of some politicians, because he hoped that Manoj, being an active member of BJD for more than four years, would get some help from the BJD MPs in Delhi. He approached Baijayant Panda. As directed by Panda, his personal secretary wrote a letter to the Director of AIIMS for extending ‘appropriate medical help’. When Arjun reached with the letter to the director of AIIMS on November 12 for appropriate medical help, he was told that his treatment and all medical tests would be free of cost, but he would have to wait. Two tests were advised and the dates given to him were January 10 for one test and February 16 for the other.
However, the doctors gave alternatives - he could get the test done in private pathologies by paying Rs2,000 for the first one and Rs15,000 for the second one. Considering the suffering and trauma of his son and thinking about the cost of living in Delhi for 4 months, Arjun decided that getting the test done would be a better option to get the free treatment in AIIMS. The tests were done and the treatment continued. In the first week of January the doctors confirmed that Manoj has cancer which is malignant. Spending more than Rs 1lakh, Arjun had become penniless, thus he decided to return to his home.
Arjun is a BPl without having a proper dwelling to live. He has already sold his small piece of agriculture land for the treatment. There are three other children to be taken care of. “I thought that after completing my diploma in ITI, Bhawanipatna, I would do job in a company to help my small brothers and sisters to study well, but my hopes are now lost,” said Manoj, who is now bed ridden. “No one from the BJD helped me although I worked sincerely for the party for more than four years,” he added.