Bahanaga: Afflicted with cancer, Akash Nayak, a 22-year-old youth of Fatehpur under Bahanaga block in Balasore, has been battling for life at AIIMS in Delhi. Funds crunch has been a major hurdle for him.
Surprisingly, his family has Biju Krushak Kalyan card, but it is of no use for the youth, his mother lamented.
Akash belongs to a landless and poor family. After his father Bibhuti Nayak passed away, his mother has been his only support. Two years ago, he was diagnosed with cancer. However, his treatment in Odisha was ineffective and had to go to AIIMS in Delhi.
Despite dire financial position, his mother Kabita has managed to spend Rs 14 lakh on his medical treatment in the last two years.
Now, doctors at the premier hospital want to remove his tumour by surgery in January. But the procedure will cost Rs 10 lakh, said his mother Kabita. If the state government comes to his rescue, he could be saved, she said with a glimmer of hope.
Akash’s father was a retired CRPF jawan. As the medical cost of his son escalated by leaps and bounds, he was unable to cope with the situation and committed suicide, leaving his wife to take care of the youth. Then Kabita borrowed several lakhs from various persons for treatment of her son.
His case has come at a time when the state has already launched Biju Swastya Kalyan Yojana, which ensures timely help for any patient. Kabita said she had shown Biju Krushak Kalyan Yojana card to AIIMS authorities, but it was invalid for them.
PNN
