Two tribal women, injured in the firing by security forces in Kandhamal district of Odisha on July 8 night and admitted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur, are not being given proper care.
Despite the claims by the government that medical treatment is being provided to the injured, on Sunday these women were found sleeping on the floor in the female ward of the orthopaedics department of this only referral hospital of south Odisha. These women are Gadishi Digal and Tempu Digal. Bullets fired by the security personnel had pierced their arms. Along with two other seriously injured in the incident, these two women were shifted to Berhampur on Saturday. The women did not even have proper bedding or mats with them. Tempu was found sleeping on the floor on a kantha, a blanket made of old clothes, while Gadishi was silently standing besides Tempu.
Both these tribal women appeared to be in extreme shock because of the horrifying experience. With expression-less eyes they murmured that they did not know why they were shot at. They were also unaware of the treatment they were to undergo. Both these women also did not have any relatives with them which added to their mental strain. Tempu was unable to talk to anyone. In a soft voice Gadishi said after seeing so many sudden deaths, she was trembling with fear. However, no counsel or help was being given to them either fom nurses or doctors. Both also found it hard to communicate with others because of their tribal dialect. Their mental state hinted that they needed immediate psychiatric care.
When contacted, hospital sources said due to dearth of beds they were accommodated on the floor. They will be surely provided beds when they are available. Luta Digal, another seriously injured, has been accommodated in a bed in the surgery ward of the hospital.
Odisha CPI (M) State secretary Ali Kishore Patnaik, who visited these two injured women, came down sharply on the State government for lack of proper attention towards their mental and physical condition. “It hints at the reality of seriousness of the government towards the poor tribals.”
He demanded immediate provision of professional psychiatric counselling to these women apart from proper attention and medical care.
(See also Page 9)
