Bargarh: A man consumed poison and committed suicide at Luhurapali village in this district late Wednesday night as his three children had died of hypoplastic anaemia.
The decased, Madhusudan Paika, belonged to Mareikel village in Sohela block under Padmapur sub-division. He was at a relative’s house in Luhurapalli village when he committed suicide.
Paika had sold his house, farmland and everything for the treatment of his three children. However, he failed to save their lives.
While living at his relative’s house he was worried about the future of his only surviving youngest son. He was a post-graduate in Odia and was hopeful of getting a job to bring up his only son.
Paika was earlier working as a lecturer in Ganiapali College and was a provisional employee at the Sohele tehsil office. However, he lost both the jobs as he had to absent himself from work to treat his three children. His requests for help to the Collector, minister, MLA, Chief Minister and the PM went unheeded.
He finally gave up and consumed poison to end his life late Wednesday night. His death shattered his wife Mukta Paika alias Mamata. The death of her husband could not have come at a worst time as she is struggling to come to terms with the death of her three children.
This has left her devastated as she has no means to bring up her only surviving son Subham and has no place to live in the absence of her husband. Subham is studying in Class II in the village school, Mukta said with tears rolling down her eyes.
Sources said Madhusudan’s family comprised his wife Mukta, two daughters Baishnodevi, Gayatri and two sons Shyamranjan and Soumyaranjan alias Subham. They were a happy family till his three children were diagnosed with hypoplastic anaemia.
His elder son Shyamranjan, studying in Class-VIII, died first at the Bargarh headquarters hospital in 2015. His two daughters, Baishnodevi and Gayatri, were soon diagnosed with the disease.
Meanwhile, he lost his jobs in the college and later in Sohela tehsil due to absence from work. He became penniless and had to run from pillar to post to meet the treatment cost of his two daughters.
The Red Cross and some benevolent persons gave him some help with which he continued providing treatment to his two daughters. However, his elder daughter Baishnodevi passed away while being rushed to VIMSAR in Burla September 4, 2017 after successfully clearing HSC examination.
His second daughter Gayatri too died while undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack March 30, 2018. She was studying in Class VI and died seven months after Baishnodevi’s death.
PNN
