An orphan teenager in Joshimath is in need of financial assistance to get his kidney ailment treated in Dehradun. On being informed about the dire straits, the local youth is in, the sub divisional magistrate said that he would send an application for assistance under the Chief Minister discretionary fund.
Eighteen year old Virendra lal lives in Badagaon village in Joshimath block. Having lost his parents earlier, the youth also lost his brother to sickness last year. Having become sick himself, Virendra’s relatives took him to Joshimath for medical treatment. The doctors in Joshimath referred the ailing youth to the base hospital at Srinagar in Pauri district. Doctors in Srinagar diagnosed the youth as suffering from a kidney ailment. With treatment of the ailment not being possible here, the doctors have referred him to Dehradun for treatment. However, the youth does not have the money needed to undergo the necessary medical treatment in Dehradun. The youth is hoping to receive financial assistance for his medical treatment though none has been received so far. In case his kidney ailment is not treated soon, the youth may not live long. On being informed about the case, the Joshimath sub divisional magistrate took cognisance of the matter and said that he would apply for financial assistance under the chief minister discretionary fund. Though the SDM may have initiated the official procedure to facilitate the required financial assistance from the CM discretionary fund, there is no surety about the time it will take for the request to be approved by the State administration to enable the medical treatment urgently required by the youth. When this correspondent talked to the district social welfare officer on this case, the official said that the youth should be admitted to the nearest health centre from where he should be referred for the required treatment. However, the department itself does not appear ready to facilitate this. locals question whether the official duties of the Social Welfare department are limited to discourse instead of facilitating works necessary for welfare of the public, especially the backward and weaker sections of the society. It now remains to be seen whether the required financial assistance is approved and provided in time to enable the youth to lead a longer life.