Acute poverty has forced a woman of Baliapatna village under Bhanjanagar block of Ganjam district to mortgage her five-month-old son for the treatment of her ailing husband. Jhili Naik’s husbnad Dukha Naik had sustained critical injuries on his leg in a road mishap three months ago. Due to lack of proper treatment, his condition worsened as the injury intensified.
Jhili, currently the only earning member of the family who works as a labourer, has carried the additional burden of treating her husband. She mortgaged her baby son to her elder sister for Rs 10,000 for the purpose of buying medicine and treatment for her husband. While Dukha is yet to recover completely, the couple expects assistance from the local administration for his timely treatment.