Elderly Pensioner Rides To Help Starving Family Of Missing COVID Patient In Odisha

Berhampur: Even today there are people in the world who help others without any selfishness, restoring our belief in the existence of humanity.

Madhusudan Patra, 75, of Berhampur in Odisha’s Ganjam district is one such soul who has come to the aid of a family of an elderly woman of Jagatsinghpur whose husband has been missing from a COVID hospital since May .

The septuagenarian, who is hard of hearing and makes ends meet with his pension, started on the 300-km-long journey after learning about the woman’s plight on local media.

The woman, Shanti Jena of Pankapal under Kujang block in Jagatsinghpur district is eagerly awaiting the return of her husband Gandharba Jena, who went missing from the SCB COVID Hospital in Cuttack on May 22.

Patra said in about three days, he managed to arrange Rs 10,000 and some food materials, packed those in an aluminium trunk and set out on the long journey on his modest bike, a moped.

After riding for 10 hours, with just two halts between the two destinations, Patra reached Shanti who lives in a thatched house with her youngest daughter. He handed over the ration, fruits and Rs 10,000 cash to Shanti. Patra halted in Jena’s house that night and started on his return journey the next morning assuring her of help in future.

It may be mentioned here that Patra has been on the forefront of helping the needy during the pandemic period despite having limited resources. Patra said “I wanted to help them financially and riding 300 km is too short a distance if the heart desires to help someone,” he told OdishaBytes.

Gandharba’s son-in-law Chandan told Odishabytes that he had tested positive for COVID-19 on May 14 and was on medication at home, but as his condition did not improve, he was admitted to COVID Care Centre at Paradip on May 18. As his condition deteriorated at Paradip CCC, the hospital suggested shifting him to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.

“On May 21 midnight, we admitted him to SCB COVID Hospital. The next day when we went to inquire about his health, the staff present there informed us that he was missing,” said Chandan.

Though his name was in the hospital admissions register, his family could not trace him. With a heavy heart they also checked the deaths register and Gandharba’s name was not there too, said Chandan. Ever since, the family has approached district collector, filed an FIR at Kujang police station and another at Mangalabag police station in Cuttack but there has been no trace of Gandharba a month-and-half of his missing.

Gandharba used to make ends meet by weaving and selling bamboo baskets in village market. The lockdown had imposed untold miseries on the family after the markets closed down, said local social worker Snemayee Acharya, who had helped the family in arranging ration for few days, and connecting to the Collector’s Office said.

She has arranged 6 months ration for Shanti and her daughter Jhilli besides contacting some welfare organisations to help them in future. She is also constantly in touch with the police and district administration to ascertain the whereabouts of Gandharba.

Shanti and her daughter Jhili thanked Madhusudan for his help and have requested the district administration as well as government to help them with any information on the missing man.

“When an elderly man, with hearing disabilities and limited resources, living hundreds of kilometres away came to help us why are the police and district administration in COVID management not informing us about anything,” questioning Chandan.