The back-to-back deaths of two inmates and falling ill of another 11 in a span of a few days has deepened the mystery surrounding Nari Niketan, the State-run shelter home for the women in distress.
Entry strictly restricted and the employees keeping mum, it is clear that the rot has eaten its way deep into the home. It was an eerie silence coupled with an air of fear that was felt hanging palpably over the atmosphere of the crisis-struck home. Moreover, the chowkidar found guarding the main gate of the home seemed to be not in his normal self when this correspondent visited it on Thursday morning to seek permission for entry to have a feel of things.
He was drawling a bit too much when spoken to. The security was so tight that even the cops were not allowed entry, sans permission. The locals who were selling vegetables outside the premises sounded too scared to speak. “We are ordinary mortals living from hand to mouth. Please do not ask us anything. It might lead to trouble,” said one of them nervously.
Police said the security is so tight that in case any document is to be delivered they drop it at the gate to be collected later. A cop, asked to explain this excessive security, said this is adding to the murkiness of things. “Things are indeed mystifying. We wonder whether they are doing this to stop us from inquiring into the cause leading to the mess that keeps dogging the home,” he added.
The number of sick inmates being admitted and treated at the Doon Hospital in ward number 7 is now 11. Two of them are said to be speech impaired. Most of them are being treated for malnutrition and several other nutritive deficiencies. They are all suffering from mental disorder.
Acting CMS Dr KC Pant claimed that the condition of the inmates being treated in the State-run facility is looking up. “It’s especially tough to treat patients, who are not mentally well. They do not co-operate and if not kept under observation round the clock, they pull out the glucose pipes attached to them,” he said.
He further said that since these inmates have no sense of what is good for them they sometimes starve themselves and at others overeat. “They also sometimes pull away the blankets and this can result in their contracting hypothermia in this chilling winter”, he said. Asked about the reason behind their sickness, Dr Pant cited improper diet and malnutrition. “Maybe the nursing staff at Nari Niketan are not taking proper care of them. They need to be taken care of as the children should be . Unless they are rightly taken care of even minor ailments can turn serious. They must be given the warmth of love and care that they can expect from their family members. This is what can help them recover fast,” he said.