A tribal woman of Bonei sub division, who was injured in an accident while attending a Chief Minister’s programme last month, has been languishing at the Bonei hospital without a surgery due to lack of money.
Her family members alleged that she was driven out from the Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) as they could not deposit Rs10,000 required for her operation. So they had admitted her in Bonei sub division hospital.
Sources said on February 23 last, a programme was organised at Bahadaposi under Bonei subdivision wherein thousands of locals had participated. like others, one Danka Dehuri (54), a tribal lady belonging to primitive Paudi Bhuyan tribe who is a native of Usakala village, also had turned up to the spot to attend the programme. After the address of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, she was returning home when she met with an accident while crossing a road. A truck ran over her legs. She was critically injured and rushed to the RGH first.
Bonei Sub Collector Rama Kanta Nayak had sanctioned Rs5,000 from the Red Cross fund to the family members of the lady for her treatment.
But that sum of money was not sufficient for her treatment as the victim required a surgery. “We were asked to arrange an amount of Rs10, 000 for the surgery of my mother’s leg but since we could not arrange the same, the surgery was not done at the RGH,” said Saga Dehuri, son of victim lady. “We were advised by the doctors of the RGH recently to remain in our village and do dressing regularly from locally here, following which we had left the hospital and now have admitted her in Bonei sub division hospital,” Saga said. “We are now worried about her condition since there is continual bleeding from her injury spot, which has not yet healed,” Saga added.
RGH officials, when contacted, maintained that they had asked to arrange money for purchase of some parts like plating, stick, nuts and screws to be used in her leg during the surgery, which they could not arrange. “Since the surgery could not take place in time, there has been mal union in the bone, which now requires an open surgery, that can be done in a major hospital only,” said Chief Medical Officer of RGH BP Prusty.
“Being daily wage labourers, we do not have the capacity to take our mother outside for treatment as the cost can run up to Rs70,000 to Rs 80,000,” said Saga.