Dejected,Bulbul wants to return home

A native of Bihar,Bulbul hates rains. It has been two months since she,along with her husband and three sons,has been camping in the lawns of the PGI. “I want to return home. I am waiting for my son to get operated upon for anal surgery and then we will head home,” she smiles,hoping for ‘sunny’ days ahead.

While there is the PGI sarai and a gurdwara for poor patients to take shelter,there is no one to guide this family.

“My children are small and the thought that they can also fall ill keeps haunting me all the time. I pray that no one falls ill. For poor people like us,it is a double tragedy.”

Recalling the fateful July 21,Bulbul said: “I was in great labour pain and kept wandering around in the hospital,but no one offered me any medical assistance. There were women all around but no one showed any compassion. My husband told the guard that I was undergoing labour pains. He directed us to the labour ward where a woman on duty asked my husband to get the card made as the doctor would examine me only if I had the medical card.”

Oblivious to the catastrophe that hit the family,little Deepak is wonder-struck at seeing a sea of people in one place. Unaware of the fact that he is to undergo surgery,he plays around in the hospital lawns the entire day and cuddles up to his mother when he gets tired.

The family has been surviving on langar-served food outside the hospital. Strangely,the GMSH-16 in its investigation report had mentioned that Bulbul needed medical care,but still discharged her. The report says such patients are referred to PGI,but nothing has been done yet.