No takers for deaf and dumb Bihari accident victim

KOCHI: At a time when the state government is extending all services including food, water and accommodation to ‘guest workers’ during the lockdown period, a Bihar native, who is speech and hearing impaired and had sustained severe injuries after a mini-lorry knocked down a group of people in front of Town Hall in Kochi last week, is seeking rehabilitation after being discharged from the hospital.

Though volunteers knocked on the doors of authorities to admit him in one of the Covid-19 relief camps in the city, nobody was ready to accommodate a person who is bedridden and with unknown whereabouts.
Twenty-five-year-old Ahmed, aka Badusha, as per the hospital records, was admitted in Ernakulam General Hospital following the mishap on April 13. He underwent a surgery for serious head injuries and was discharged after week-long treatment on Tuesday. According to the hospital authorities, he requires further treatment and they are helpless to admit him in the present condition, as the hospital’s isolation ward has been demolished for renovation. 

The volunteers of Nanma Foundation, a charity organisation in Kochi, have been looking after the youth, who was lying outside the hospital, providing him with food and medicines. As he has been discharged from the hospital, they are running pillar to the post for finding an accommodation for the bedridden youth.

“He arrived in Kochi six years ago and had been staying under the North overbridge. He used to roam around Ernakulam North and SRM Road area and rely on the food being distributed by various organisations. Meanwhile, he lost his left hand in a train accident years ago. At present, he requires the help of a person to carry out his primary needs. We have been assisting him but are clueless on his future,” said Shaiju Jamal, activist of Nanma Foundation. 

According to him, the corporation authorities have not taken any action though Mayor Soumini Jain had offered them all help. “We have limitations. If the authorities give the support, we could continue assisting him until he recovers completely,” added Shaiju.

The incident that rendered Ahmed bedridden happened on April 13. A mini-lorry carrying drinking water cans knocked down a group of people waiting to collect food parcels being distributed by a community kitchen in front of Town Hall on April 13, leaving seven injured. The other injured were Tamil Nadu natives, also city dwellers, and the driver of the vehicle. All of them were discharged from the hospital within a few days, except the Bihar native.

Collector intervenes
After being alerted about the youth’s plight, District Collector S Suhas intervened and directed the General Hospital authorities to readmit the person for a few days and continue treatment until further orders.