A malnourished elderly woman and her son were rescued in critical condition after days of suffering from starvation at Ward No.12 under Rajgangpur Municipality of Sundargarh district on Wednesday.
The woman has been identified as Sonu Bai, a daily wage labourer while her son Birju is stated to be mentally challenged.
As per reports, after losing her husband, Sonu used to work to earn livelihood and somehow managed two square meals for both of them.
However, a few days back, Sonu lost her vision due to old-age related complications and despite all attempts, she had to give up working.
Without food, the mother-son duo was forced to starve for the last 15-20 days and was almost lying in an unconscious state when neighbours realised about their miserable condition.
Narrating on the heartrending spectacle of the family, one of the neighbours of Sonu, Gurudutta Sharma said, “When we came to know that the mother-son duo had not eaten anything over the last fortnight, we rushed to help them. The health condition of both of them had already deteriorated and their house also collapsed yesterday."
Upon contacted, volunteers of social organisations with help of other neighbours, shifted Sonu and her son to a hospital.
Meanwhile, the authorities of Rajgangpur Municipality have assured to take all necessary steps to facilitate financial aid and other help to the distressed family.
The woman and her son will be rehabilitated after their treatment at the hospital. We will inspect the identity and other details of the duo and take steps accordingly,” municipal officer Binod Kumar Panda said.