HASSAN: A farmer from Belavattahalli,
Arsikere
taluk, had to sell his two-acre field to pay for Covid-19 treatment for him and his family. Manjunath’s
wife Pushpa
, 43, succumbed to the infection, while his daughter, 18, is recovering. Manjunath and his 16-year-old son are also infected.
The family stayed about 12km from the taluk centre and sold the land for Rs 1.5 lakh. He has now borrowed Rs 1.5 lakh to pay for his treatment. Recounting the ordeal, Manjunath said, “On May 5, my daughter had fever, cough and cold. We waited for two days and then took her to a private hospital in Arsikere where she tested positive.”
Her condition continued to worsen. “Even after four days of treatment, my daughter’s blood oxygen kept dropping. The hospital referred us to another private hospital in Hassan city where she was admitted in ICU. My daughter was finally discharged on May 18,” he said.
Manjunath added: “During this time, my wife took ill and my brother brought her to Hassan city. She had developed a fever and cold five days previously which she had neglected. She was admitted in another private hospital and later shifted to the same hospital where my daughter was treated. She died on May 20.”
He said he and his son received their test results on Sunday. “My daughter is stable now and my son is in home isolation. My brother is taking care of them. I’m undergoing treatment in the same hospital but have no symptoms. I used the Rs 2.5 lakh I got for my land to pay for my wife and daughter’s treatment. Now, I’ve borrowed Rs 1.5 lakh,” he said.
A video of Manjunath and his children pleading for government help was widely shared on social media. Arsikere tahsildar Santhosh said, “We have contacted the private hospital and are checking details.”