A case has come to the fore where an AIDS-affected poverty-stricken widow has been struggling hard to eke out her living and also fails to feed her children every day after her husband died about one-and-a-half months back.
The distressed woman of Koilipur village under Rajnagar block has been suffering from the killer disease since long but has so far failed to avail any Government sops. Her husband died one and a half months back.
According to the victim woman, when her husband was working at an Andhra-based cement factory in 2011, he fell from the building roof and was admitted to a private hospital for treatment. The doctor transfused blood in his body. After being discharged from the hospital, he became sick and later returned to the village.
“When the blood sample of my husband was tested at Cuttack SCB Medical College and Hospital, he tested positive for HIV/AIDs. Subsequently, I also got infected. Now after the death of my husband in October, I have to take care of five kids, including three daughters, and my septuagenarian mother in law,” stated the woman.
The woman admitted that she was not a victim of the social ostracization. “I have been getting Madhubabu pension and also doing
menial job to feed the family members. As I failed to provide treatment for my children, so one of my children has been admitted at an orphanage in Pattamundai block,” she stated.
She further stated that in 2012, her husband became a beneficiary in Mo Kudia Yojana and had also received Rs 15,000 as first instalment from the block authority for construction of a Pucca house. But the money was spent on the treatment of her husband.
She also said that the BDO of Derabish recently served her a notice to pay back the money else necessary action would be initiated against her for duping the Government doles.
Meanwhile, the locals and the AIDs affected woman urged the district administration and the State Government to provide financial assistance to her.
In another incident, a 40-year- old HIV affected person of Rajgada village is leading a dignified life by eking out his living by doing wage works.
According to the victim, two years back when he was working in a Surat-based spinning mill, he was infected with the killer disease and returned to his house.
A year back, the villagers did not co-operate with him. But thanks to the awareness created among the villagers by one Biraja Pati, a social worker engaged in creating awareness on HIV/AIDs, the mindset of the villagers changed and now the villagers have been co-operating him and his family.