Bargarh: In a heartrending incident, a euthanasia seeker of Bardol village in Bargarh district died Sunday after a long battle with his ailment and failing to get proper treatment.
Munna, 35, was the only son of Prabhati and late Souri Barik and the sole breadwinner of the family. He made both ends meet by working as a daily labourer.
However, he was paralysed for life after he fell off a tree a few years back. With no help coming from any side, the widow sold her homestead land and mortgaged her house and ornaments to treat Munna at different hospitals.
The administration too was of no help to the poor family. A stage came when Prabhati could no more afford the expenses for Munna’s treatment. Finally, seeking euthanasia for the family, she submitted a petition to the District Collector. It worked.
Taking note of the plight of the widow, the Collector gave Prabhati Rs 20,000 from the District Red Cross Fund and made arrangements for Munna to be admitted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
However, at SCB, Munna was not provided a bed, but was placed on the floor at a corridor and was allegedly not attended to by any doctor during his 10 day-stay. Fed up with the apathy in the hospital, Prabhati brought back Munna to the village. He breathed his last Sunday.
Prabhati is survived by her widowed daughter. Locals sympathised with them and pleaded with the administration to provide them necessary help.