Covid-hit family starves at home, hospitalised

Aligarh (UP), June 16

 A Covid widow who lost her job due to the pandemic and her five children have been admitted to a hospital here, apparently after going without food for days.

Doctors at the Malkhan Singh District Hospital said the six family members were barely able to talk or stand up when they were admitted on Tuesday by some Good Samaritans.

The mother, Guddi (40), told media persons that after having lost her husband, who was the sole breadwinner, to Covid last year, she had been somehow eking out a living by working in a lock factory. That too shut down a few months ago.

After the news surfaced, District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh rushed a team of officials to investigate the matter and extend relief, an official release said.

After losing her job, Guddi said her eldest son Ajay (20) started working as a daily wage construction worker but due to the lockdown in April during the second wave of coronavirus, he too lost his job and all sources of income dried up.

As no one was able to move out of their house located at Mandir ka Nagla under Sasni Gate police station area, Guddi said that for nearly eight weeks, they survived on ‘chapatis’ which their neighbours used to give them.

However, 10 days back even such mercies ended and “the entire family went without a single meal”, she said.

The DM has sent a team of three officials led by Sub Divisional Magistrate Kunwar Bahadur Singh to investigate the matter and “provide immediate relief including foodgrain, other food items and a sum of Rs 5,000 to the affected family”, the release said.

He said that the matter is being investigated and further action will follow soon.

Meanwhile, Sunil Kumar who runs a social organisation ‘Hands for Help’ has also come forward to provide ration.

Vishnu Kumar Bunty of Manav Upkar Sanstha, which has been helping people hit by the coronavirus pandemic, has demanded a probe into this incident.

He said a door-to-door survey should be held to trace those whose livelihoods have been hit by the recent lockdowns. — PTI

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