Poverty, illness push couple over the edge

GUWAHATI: All this while, they were battling utter poverty to run their family. Despite facing great hardships, they were still a happy couple blessed with a girl child.
But the helplessness of watching their only daughter die for not being able to provide proper treatment to her pushed them to the edge and they took the drastic step of ending their lives.
The death of Barun Kalita (35), his wife, Anamika, and 10-month-old daughter, Riasmita, left the state shocked on Monday. To put an end to their miseries, the couple jumped into the Brahmaputra, along with their child, while taking a boat ride.
A salesman at a furniture shop in the city, Barun did not have the money required to treat Riasmita, who had a hole in her heart. Barun's family members said he probably lost his patience while waiting to get her daughter's name enlisted for free treatment by the state government in Bangalore. The illness of the daughter was detected at a private hospital here about six months ago.
On Monday, the couple left home at Haribhanga village in Nalbari district for another check-up at Guwahati Medical College Hospital in the city and instead hired a country boat at Kachari in the city to take them to Umananda temple, situated in the middle of the Brahmaputra. Then both of them jumped into the river from the boat along with their child.
Barun's family members found a suicide note under the mattress of his bed in his house on Tuesday morning. "We were watching the shocking news in TV on Monday, but little did we realize that they were our own Barun, Anamkia and Riasmita. When I tried calling him on his mobile at 10 pm on Monday, I found his phone switched off and then I somewhat grew restless. On Tuesday morning, when I found the suicide note, the worst fears came true," said Barun's brother Pabitra.
Guwahati Medical College and Hospital superintendent Ramen Talukdar said Riasmita was admitted to the hospital's pediatrics ICU on September 3 for treating her acute lung infection. "She was cured of the infection and released on September 9. We also told her parents to come to the hospital when we hold the camp for screening heart ailments of children, who need to be sent outside for better treatment." The camp is scheduled to be held in the next two weeks.
The tragic incident has raised questions on the government's free health schemes for poor people, especially for treating heart ailments of children from poor families. Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told TOI, "We have asked for details of the child from Guwahati Medical College Hospital. We have so far treated more than 1000 children free of cost at Narayan Hridulaya at Bangalore. This is an on going scheme and is known to everyone."
Riasmita was diagnosed with a hole in heart at a private hospital here about six months ago, where her parents were told that she would require a surgery which would cost them Rs 4 to 5 lakh. "Since then, they have been visiting Guwahati Medical College almost every 15 days. We were waiting for a call from GMCH and alternatively we were also planning to take some loans and take her to Chennai on our own. But may be he became impatient as he was deeply concerned about his daughter," said Barun's brother Pabitra.
River Police officer in charge Dilip Doley said, "The couple's family members had filed an FIR based on which we registered a case of unnatural death. We have also released the boatmen picked up on Monday. We are yet to retrieve the bodies. The search will resume at daybreak on Wednesday."