Thelagada serves as ambulance for this man in locked down Kathmandu

On a shiny sunny day in Kathmandu earlier this week, just a few automobiles had been plying as a result of lockdown imposed to regulate the coronavirus outbreak within the nation. On the highway in entrance of the Durbar High School, Ranipokhari, a middle-aged man in a inexperienced t-shirt, half pants and slippers with an improvised masks was pushing a thelagada (cart). He was pouring with sweat and pushing, not any items, however a girl on it.

Hurriedly, we requested him the place he was going. He replied that he was on his solution to Bir Hospital for dialysis.

Strange—an individual being taken to hospital on a cart! Questions began popping in our heads: Where did they arrive from? What will need to have occurred to them? Why had been they utilizing a cart as a substitute of calling an ambulance? What compelled them?

He was already close to the hospital, so there was no level serving to him an ambulance for him. Instead, we adopted him. After he admitted the girl for dialysis, we requested him the place he was from and who the girl was, and extra importantly, why he introduced her on a cart and never an ambulance.

He launched himself as Dambar Bahadur Simkhada from Ganga Jamuna rural municipality of Dhading. And, the girl was his spouse. After the lockdown began, with no transportation companies and no cash, he took it upon himself to carry his spouse all the best way from Samakhusi for her dialysis. “While the lockdown is in impact, that’s how we will proceed,” shared Simkhada.

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My title is Dambar Bahadur Simkhada, from Ganga Jamuna rural municipality of Dhading, presently dwelling in Samakhusi. My spouse has been sick for the previous eight years. Even after many assessments and coverings, her sickness was not recognized. 

A 12 months in the past, the docs confirmed it was the kidney drawback and that she would require common dialysis. Before the lockdown, we had been getting free dialysis at a dialysis centre close to Samakhusi. In the lockdown, they issued a discover that they might not be doing free dialysis.

I requested them why, however they requested me to go to the Health Ministry. I went there as nicely. I bought to know that they shifted the companies to public hospitals. However, my spouse’s title was not on the record. I defined the state of affairs, and, after a lot deliberation, an worker from the ministry listed her title for the Bir Hospital.

But, it’s not straightforward to carry a affected person to Bir Hospital from Samakhusi. Taxis are costly to journey. It was costly even whereas we had been getting remedy close to Samakhusi. The payments had been a headache even earlier than because the dialysis wanted to be completed twice per week.

The dialysis was free, however the medicines and different bills weren’t; they equalled to Rs 5,000-7,000 each time. Taxi payments, therefore, are simply insufferable.

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I used to be overseas for eight years. I solely got here to Nepal a couple of 12 months in the past. I’ve been unemployed for a 12 months. All the cash I earned has already completed in her remedy. I’m managing by taking loans and shopping for the products on credit score. Now, after the lockdown’s starting, the state of affairs has grow to be worse. It has grow to be very onerous to handle medicines and even meals provides. 

The burden of bills simply utterly stops any thought or work.

It had grow to be nearly not possible to succeed in the hospital through the lockdown. A neighbour urged me shopping for a cart and utilizing it to take my spouse for remedy. It sounded affordable, so, with loans, I purchased the cart and am utilizing it to carry her right here [to the hospital]. After the acquisition, I’ve not needed to pay for a taxi. It has made issues straightforward for me too. 

Every morning, I am going to purchase greens after which promote them within the neighbourhood. It has helped me acquire cash for her medicines. The dialysis is being carried out easily right here, there is no such thing as a drawback. The docs are being useful too. 

The dialysis takes some three to 4 hours. After that, I put her on the cart and take her house. It repeats for the following dialysis.

Doctors have urged a transplant. But, my blood group didn’t match. So was with different members of the family. It looks like we must do dialysis for the remainder of life. There had been issues earlier than the lockdown and now as nicely. But, these days, it’s like we’re used to the issues. It has grow to be part of on a regular basis life.

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Published on May 27th, Wednesday, 2020 10:19 AM

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