Starving, poverty-stricken family hospitalised in UP's Aligarh

Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 17 (ANI): A widow in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh who had lost her job due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown was admitted to a hospital along with her five children, after reportedly starving for days.

The 40-year-old mother Guddi, told media personnel here that after she lost her husband to Covid-19 last year, and she was the sole breadwinner and was working at a factory. But a few months ago, she lost her job as the factory was shut down.

The family is a resident of the Mandir ka Nagla area under the Sasni Gate police station area.

"My daughter fell ill and was treated but soon after that, the whole family fell ill. We were down with fever and had no food. The shops denied giving us a ration. I do not have a ration card. I made a complaint to Pradhan but he didn't help," Guddi said.

They survived on 'chapatis' which their neighbours used to give them for some weeks but after that, the neighbours also stopped giving her and her children any more food.

"The neighbours said that they cannot help us every day," she said.

The woman narrated her ordeal and said that her eldest son who worked as a daily wage construction worker also lost his job due to the lockdown following which all sources of income dried up.

Doctors treating her at Malkhan Singh District Hospital said that three of them are admitted to the hospital but the hospital is taking care of the rest of the members too.

The Chief Medical officer of Aligarh district Dr R Kishan said, "The whole family lost their job during the lockdown. They were admitted to the hospital on Tuesday. We are trying to give them better treatment."

"They have a fever and the physicians are taking care of them. They are also malnourished. Their situation has improved and they are on a high protein diet," he added. (ANI)