A Kashmiri father of a three-year-old child, who was discharged after two heart surgeries at AIIMS here in a span of eight days last month, is left with only prayers as his son has developed breathing problems and because of the prolonged lockdown, the family is unable to get required medical care for the son.
“We have been staying in a rented accommodation inDelhi. I am running short of money,” says Nisar Ahmad Magray, a38-year-old labourer from Abhama village in Pulwama district.
The distraught father says last month when the surgeries ofhis son, Magray Taha, were conducted successfully, the family was overjoyed.
Nisar now wants to go back to his village, but is stuck inDelhi’s Adarsh Nagar (near Majlis Park, north-west Delhi) at a rentedaccommodation of Rs 13,500 per month with his son, wife and nephew Manzoor.
He tried to go to Pulwama by an ambulance, but was asked topay Rs 60,000 for the facility, with no guarantee – in view of the nationwidelockdown – that he would be dropped at his village.
“I somehow managed to pay the rent this month eventhough the Delhi government has told landlords not to ask for the monthlyrent”.
The biggest problem Nisar is facing is the survival of hisson as he is facing breathing problems in the basement accommodation.
“I came here on November 18 last year after my son wasreferred to the AIIMS by Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS).The arteries of my son’s heart were blocked. I have spent lakhs of rupees forhis treatment and borrowed money from relatives and friends. Now that thesurgeries are over, I am not able to provide him with proper care,” Nisartold IANS.
“My son must survive,” he said.
“Taha’s first open-heart surgery took place on March 1and second eight days later. It was the happiest moment of my life when he wasdischarged from AIIMS on March 26,” said Nisar.
“But, now we are stuck here due to lockdown.”
He says he has contacted everybody to help him in reachinghis home. “I am now left with little money. I tried to take help from anambulance but the driver asked me to pay Rs 60,000 from one-way trip toKashmir, but he gave us no assurance of dropping me in Pulwama. I cannot affordthat, nor can I afford to pay for food and medicines. I appeal for immediatehelp.”
“I recently paid Rs 1,600 to an ambulance for a visitto AIIMS for a follow-up checkup,” said Nisar.
“My son needs a lot of care and hygiene. I want to takehim back home, but don’t know what to do. I am not getting any information suchas whether the government has any plans to allow movement of patients stuck inDelhi. I have knocked every door, but have not got any response. Please helpus,” Magray said.Hundreds of Kashmiris like Nisar and othersbelonging to different states are stuck in Delhi and other places across thecountry due to lockdown.