In a heart-wrenching incident highlighting rural poverty, a woman from Ballaranga village under Dunguripali block in Subarnapur district was forced to pawn her ration card for Rs 4,000 to afford her son’s medical treatment.
According to reports, Krishna Nayak, an eighth-grade student, had participated in a high-jump competition at his school when he accidentally fell and fractured his arm. He was immediately rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital for treatment.
However, due to financial hardship, Krishna’s mother could not afford the medical expenses. Left with no alternative, she mortgaged the family’s ration card with a villager for Rs 4,000 to arrange money for her son’s treatment.
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After learning about the incident, the Subarnapur District Collector personally visited the hospital and met the injured student and his family. He assured them that Krishna’s treatment would be provided entirely free of cost. The Collector also promised additional financial assistance to the family to help them recover from the crisis.
“He fell down and became unconscious, after which I brought him to Dumripali hospital and then to Sonepur DHH. As his condition worsened, I had to mortgage my ration card for Rs 4000 to bring my child to the hospital. His teachers are now nowhere to be seen. The Collector enquired about my child’s condition and promised free treatment,” said the little boy’s mother.
When contacted, Subarnapur Collector Nruparaj Sahu said, “I have spoken to the doctors and orthopaedic specialists. They have assured that the child’s surgery can be done in the DHH. By any chance if they cannot do it, we will take steps to shift the boy to a nursing home. But, I assure you that all the treatment expenses will be borne by the administration, so that his family does not have to bear anything. I got to know about the ration card mortgage, we will make sure she gets back her ration card.”
The incident has sparked concern over the economic vulnerability of families in rural Odisha and calls for stronger welfare measures to prevent such distressing situations in the future.
