Exclusive wards for destitute patients in govt hospitals urged

Anantapur: A 60-year-old throat cancer patient Shankar of Venugopalanagar in the city, unable to get relief with the excruciating pain in the throat caused by cancer, was disgusted with life and decided to end his life by consuming liquor and went to an isolated place on Thursday on the outskirts of local railway station and slept away on the rail track. 

Unfortunately, he went off the track in his drowsiness just before the train crossing. When a second train was about to cross, he spread his hands on the track and unfortunately, he lost fingers of his hand. The man, who was bleeding on his head and hands was noticed by a railway head constable Narayana Reddy who quickly informed social worker Ramana of ‘Sanjeevini Helping Hands,’ a voluntary organisation working for hapless destitute who sleep on the pavements and in public places. 

The head constable also noticed a pipe installed on his throat for feeding him and also learnt that he lost his ability to speak due to throat cancer. Ramana immediately rushed him to the government hospital on Tuesday night and was with the patient attending on him at the emergency ward and saved his life. Doctors also attended on the patient with a sense of urgency and came to his rescue. 

The man’s identity was not known until Ramana posted the incident in several ‘WhatsApp’ groups and one of the relatives came into contact and thanked Ramana for playing good samaritan and saving his uncle Shankar’s precious life. Ramana regrets that the man to escape the pain and misery, contemplated suicide but he saved his life only to add more problems to his already afflicted soul. 

Ramana speaking to The Hans India stated that there are countless number of destitute patients languishing in government hospitals for months. These patients could not receive quality treatment as they had no attendants virtually for taking care of them or nurse them to health. 

Ramana is demanding the medical and health authorities to establish exclusive wards for destitute patients and give their responsibility to NGOs, who have a commitment to serve the unwanted people with a Mother Teresa like love and compassion. 

These are the people, who are languishing in misery and sickness and have lost the will to live, muttered Ramana. Also, foul smell is emanating from their bodies of destitute as they had not gone for a bath for months together. This is inconveniencing the ordinary patients in government hospitals and creating an unhealthy environment and aggravating health problems for many. The hospital authorities should take a fresh look at his plea for separate wards for the living dead souls, he added.

BY Ravi P Benjamin