Suman, a 28-year-old cancer patient from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, has been stranded in Chandigarh since March 17 due to the curfew. She has been visiting the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research for treatment and is one among at least 15 other families from different regions who are now stranded here due to curbs on movement.
“My initial round of chemotherapy treatment is over. My 57-year old mother and my 8-year-old daughter are pleading with everyone to show us a way out by which we can go back home,” she said.
Her mother Ram Sevi, who works as domestic help in Kanpur, is the only earning member of the family which includes Suman’s widowed sister and her 7-year-old son. “She must be in dire straits. I don’t know from where she is arranging for food. This time is tougher on me than the day my daughter was diagnosed with cancer,” Ram Sevi said.
Similarly, 65-year-old patient Pushpa Devi, from Doda district in J&K, was to be operated at PGIMER on March 23. “We left Doda on March 20 and reached here on March 23, but the lockdown was announced and surgeries were cancelled. Now, I am suffering pain in my abdomen due to a complicated condition of a urinary tract stone, and am unable to return home too. It is difficult situation,” Pushpa Devi said.
11-year-old Manjesh Kumar is from Mansa Punjab. He is suffering from aplastic anemia, an autoimmune disease in which the body fails to produce blood cells in sufficient numbers. He was referred to PGI from Rajindra Hospital Patiala on 19 March, following which they consulted doctors here for a couple of days. “The lockdown was suddenly announced and now we are stranded,” said Chandan Dev, Manjesh father who works in a rice mill.
{{/usCountry}}11-year-old Manjesh Kumar is from Mansa Punjab. He is suffering from aplastic anemia, an autoimmune disease in which the body fails to produce blood cells in sufficient numbers. He was referred to PGI from Rajindra Hospital Patiala on 19 March, following which they consulted doctors here for a couple of days. “The lockdown was suddenly announced and now we are stranded,” said Chandan Dev, Manjesh father who works in a rice mill.
{{/usCountry}}UT health secretary, Arun Kumar Gupta, said the state governments concerned should provide assistance in this regard. “We have requested their state governments to arrange for transportation and we will issue them transit passes considering the situation,” he said.
Director PGIMER Dr Jagat Ram said several patients have been sent home through the proactive approach of the governments and staff here. “I will look into it again and ensure that no body suffers due to this issue,” he said.