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“My mother is on ventilator, we don’t have money for treatment..,” Vrindavan boat tragedy survivor appeals for help
Rekha Jain, who was admitted to Ram Mission Hospital in Vrindavan since the boat accident, was referred to PGIMER Chandigarh after her condition deteriorated.
Rekha and Shwet Jain had gone to Vrindavan with a group of 130 other pilgrims from Ludhiana. (Express Photo)
Four days after a boat capsized in the Yamuna River at the holy town of Uttar Pradesh’s Vrindavan, killing at least 15 pilgrims, a survivor has appealed to the Punjab Government for financial help for his mother’s treatment, who continues to be critical.
Rekha Jain, 55, from Jagraon in Ludhiana, is currently on ventilator support after water entered her lungs, while her son Shwet Jain, who was also on the ill-fated boat, remains stable. Rekha and Shwet had gone to Vrindavan with a group of 130 other pilgrims from Ludhiana.
On Monday, Rekha, who was admitted to Ram Mission Hospital in Vrindavan since the boat accident, was referred to PGIMER Chandigarh after her condition deteriorated. However, the family soon shifted her to a private hospital in Chandigarh late Monday, alleging negligence and lack of treatment at PGIMER.
“She kept lying on the stretcher for half an hour and no one attended. The ward already had over a hundred patients and it was crammed. She needed immediate ventilator support and her oxygen levels were dropping, but no one cared,” said Shwet.
“PGIMER staff told us that a ventilator can’t be provided immediately. We had no option but to shift her to the private hospital in Chandigarh, where we have already paid Rs 39,000. They will ask for more money in the evening, which I don’t have,” he added.
Appealing to the Punjab Government for help, he said his mother is “my only support”. “I have already lost my father years ago. I do a private job for Rs 15-20,000 a month only. I cannot afford to pay heavy hospital bills,” he added.
On April 10, the boat ferrying pilgrims capsized in the Yamuna after reportedly crashing into a floating drum of a pontoon bridge. The boat was allowed to operate by the local administration, allegedly without any safety measures, and the pilgrims were not even given life jackets.
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At least 15 pilgrims, including multiple people from a single family and mostly hailing from Ludhiana district’s Jagraon town, died in the Vrindavan boat accident. While 15 bodies have been recovered so far, 1 person remains missing.
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