‘Children had refused to receive ailing father’

Malkangiri: Not only the Telengana hospital authorities but also even his own son and daughter had not come to the rescue of ailing Dambaru Madhi, a bonded labourer working in the neighbouring State, who had died under a roadside tree after being unattended for around 12 hours, reports said.

The shameful revelation was made by the District Labour Officer, which submitted a report to the State government regarding the matter.

The report said the ambulance from a hospital in Telengana had reached Madhi's son at his house in Sindabeda carrying his ailing father. "When the ambulance officials asked his son to accept Dambaru, he strongly refused saying that he does not know him (Madhi) as his father deserted his mother when he was in embryo", District Labour Officer Laxman Behera said.

The ambulance men had also got similar words from Madhi's daughter and they ultimately dumped him under a tree on their way back to hospital.

The report noted even the siblings did not perform the last rites. Another relative of Dambaru did all the rites with financial assistance from Panchayat.

On the other hand, the Labour department has asked the hospital authorities to reply that what circumstances led to his discharge.

Madhi, a resident of Sindabeda village under Maithili police station in the district, had migrated to Karimnagar in Telangana to work in a granite mine. Things turned worse after he fell sick there.

While his employer admitted him to a private hospital there four days ago, not willing to spend further, they sent the patient back to his native in a critical condition.

The hospital took necessary preliminary care of the patient and informed the attendant about the expenses incurred and expected amount for further treatment. Later, they took him away saying that they would take him home, sources said.