Why Reeda? Why not Reeda?
Reeda died of swine flu in Pune. I am very sad on being informed about this. Her parents and relatives are angry that the hospital she was admitted to, did not diagnose the disease correctly, no corrective steps were taken. I am angered too. Reeda obviously did not have to die. One can even go to the extreme of saying that it is a national shame. Reeda's kith and kin writhing with pain on our TV sets is heart wrenching. However, Reeda's aunt and mother have a voice. They know where the fault lies, and equally well how to address their grief.
What is worth drawing our attention to, however, is the state of medical health in India today. For a large part of India, our villages and suburbs, medical health status of the citizen today is as it was yesterday. It will remain to be so tomorrow, unless of course, we ACT.
Let me list out the names that I know and have heard of in the last five years, only in Orissa.
Baimati Paraja died during child birth in Koraput.
Dasi Paraja died of an undiagnosed mysterious disease after returning from work in Malkangiri.
Lalita Gauda was five years old when she died of a bloated belly (apparently underfed and malnoursihed).
Chanchala Harijan died in the eighth month of pregnancy.
Sukaldei Paraja was 1.5 years old and died of a deadly snake bite.
Guru Paraja, Kuji Paraja, Saniya Paraja, and Sunadhar Paraja died of a disease unheard of by them. Officials called it anthrax.
Kamali Harijan was returning from dangar when she was attacked by a wild bear, she went blind.
Dhania Juang and eight other members of his clan were returning from a marriage feast when wild elephants charged them. Everbody else escaped. Dhania, however, was too drunk and could not escape. The elephant tramped on his stomach and his intestines were hanging out.
I still have names tumbling out of my mouth, however, I am too distressed and disturbed to fill the page with episodes of people who should not have died or suffered. But they died. They suffered. They still die and they still suffer.
At these times when we are angered, sad and battered at news pouring in about how a 14 year old named Reeda died in a hospital in one of the most modern cities of India due to a wrong diagnosis; I am numb with grief about all of the people named above that should not have died or suffered as they do. Those who died above never had a correct diagnosis. They were never diagnosed. They could not reach a hospital. There were no hospitals within their reach. They also did not have to die.
© honestlyours., all rights reserved
What is worth drawing our attention to, however, is the state of medical health in India today. For a large part of India, our villages and suburbs, medical health status of the citizen today is as it was yesterday. It will remain to be so tomorrow, unless of course, we ACT.
Let me list out the names that I know and have heard of in the last five years, only in Orissa.
Baimati Paraja died during child birth in Koraput.
Dasi Paraja died of an undiagnosed mysterious disease after returning from work in Malkangiri.
Lalita Gauda was five years old when she died of a bloated belly (apparently underfed and malnoursihed).
Chanchala Harijan died in the eighth month of pregnancy.
Sukaldei Paraja was 1.5 years old and died of a deadly snake bite.
Guru Paraja, Kuji Paraja, Saniya Paraja, and Sunadhar Paraja died of a disease unheard of by them. Officials called it anthrax.
Kamali Harijan was returning from dangar when she was attacked by a wild bear, she went blind.
Dhania Juang and eight other members of his clan were returning from a marriage feast when wild elephants charged them. Everbody else escaped. Dhania, however, was too drunk and could not escape. The elephant tramped on his stomach and his intestines were hanging out.
I still have names tumbling out of my mouth, however, I am too distressed and disturbed to fill the page with episodes of people who should not have died or suffered. But they died. They suffered. They still die and they still suffer.
At these times when we are angered, sad and battered at news pouring in about how a 14 year old named Reeda died in a hospital in one of the most modern cities of India due to a wrong diagnosis; I am numb with grief about all of the people named above that should not have died or suffered as they do. Those who died above never had a correct diagnosis. They were never diagnosed. They could not reach a hospital. There were no hospitals within their reach. They also did not have to die.
© honestlyours., all rights reserved
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