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Journalism of Courage
A 45-year-old man in Karnataka bicycled for around 280 kilometres during lockdown to get medicines for his son with special needs. Anand, a mason from Mysuru, travelled to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru on his bicycle recently.
Anand, who resides at Ganiganakoppalu hamlet of Tirumakudal Narsipur Taluk, said he left home on May 23 to reach Bengaluru late at night. On the way, he halted near a temple in Kanakapura to rest. He then reached Banashankari where some locals gave him shelter and food. The next day, he met the doctor at NIMHANS to get the medicines, took rest for the day and returned the day after.
“My son is getting treated at NIMHANS for some psychological disorders. We used to visit the hospital every month to get the medicines otherwise. This time we had to get these medicines somehow as the doctor had advised that we would have to continue medication for an additional period of 18 years if it was missed once now,” Anand said.
Anand said that the doctor in Bengaluru gave him Rs 1,000 after getting to know of his bicycle journey.
Anand feared that travelling on someone else’s motorbike would land him in trouble and that he would be stopped by cops midway.
“However, I had asked some people to lend me their motorbikes but none obliged. I had no other way but to take my bicycle for my son’s medicines which were soon getting over. There is no public transport available these days because of the lockdown,” he said.
Last week, the Karnataka government extended the lockdown in the state till June 7 in a bid to mitigate the spread of Covid-19.
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