Post News Network
Ghasipura, Dec 9: Taking a serious note of a report in Oriya daily Dharitri Tuesday that Basant Sahu (50) was confined in fetters inside a shanty at Biridiha village under Kantipal panchayat in Keonjhar district, the administration Wednesday took him to Anandapur hospital and later shifted him to SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack by an ambulance.
His wife Susama Sahu had appealed to the district administration seeking help for his mentally deranged husband.
Anandapur sub-collector Maheswar Swain was present at the hospital and provided Rs 10,000 to the family from District Red Cross Society. Anandapur hospital authorities also paid Rs 3000 to Susama for her husband’s treatment.
His life in confinement was worse than that of an animal, local said. Starting from eating to relieving himself, he used to do everything there in the shanty, said his wife Susama Sahu.
Due to grinding poverty, the family was unable to afford treatment to Basant. His family has mortgaged two acres of land with a local money lender against borrowings for marriage of his elder daughter.
His only son works outside of the state. But whatever money he sends is not enough to meet the daily expenses of the family.
“When we find it hard to maintain family expanses with the earnings of her son, it is hard for us to provide treatment to my husband,” lamented Susama.
Susama has urged the sub-collector to provide her financial help or arrange treatment of her husband.
When he was 15, he had developed mental problem. With help of his school teachers, he was treated at Ranchi. Later, he was married. However, his wife abandoned her three months after the marriage.
For the second time, his family married him with Susama.
The poor family has been derived of government facilities like a house under Indira Awas Yojana and a ration card.
