The life lost, the dreams died

On his way to office, Amit Sarkar, a smalltime employee in a private company, would drop his daughter Anupama to school and she would take a bus back home everyday. He did just that on July 17, but little did he know that this would be the last time. After battling for life at the PGI for a week, Anupama passed away Tuesday morning.

Till a few days ago, Amit Sarkar, a smalltime employee in a private company, was following his daughter Anupama's dreams and was proud of the fact that she was pursuing the commerce stream. "Papa, I want to study commerce," Anupama had been repeatedly telling her father since she cleared her Class 10 exams with 7.6 CGPA.

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On his way to office, Sarkar would drop Anupama at her school in Sector 18 and she would take a bus on her way back home. He did just that on July 17, but little did he know that this would be the last time. After battling with life at the PGI for a week, Anupama passed away on Tuesday morning.

"I wish I hadn't sent her to school that day," said Sarkar.

Since July 17, Sarkar has seen his daughter slipping into the jaws of death, inch by inch. "She did not get the required attention and treatment, as her condition demanded, from doctors at the PGI. The doctors did not heed to my repeated pleas to urgently attend to Anupama. In the meantime, the infection spread to the entire body," he said.

Sarkar said that although Anupama was in seething pain, she remained in a positive frame of mind throughout. "It is due to the negligence of PGI doctors that my daughter first lost her leg and then her life," he said.

Sarkar broke down several times at the PGI mortuary on Tuesday. The eyes that dreamt of seeing her daughter excel in studies had become lifeless. "Chandigarh is a city of the rich, for the rich. Who cares for the poor here?" he asked.