A 67-year-old man, who helped in the funeral of over 1300 Covid victims in Nagpur and was even declared a ‘corona warrior’, found that no one was ready to help him when he contracted the disease.
When the pandemic broke out in early 2020, 67-year-old Chandan Nimje found that even close family members of Covid-19 patients were reluctant to accept their loved ones’ bodies. A retired civil servant, Nimje joined a group of volunteers who dedicated their time to give a dignified last goodbye to victims of the pandemic in Nagpur, reported the Times of India.
Since then, the senior citizen helped to perform the last rites of more than 1300 people amid the pandemic. In his journey, Nimje also earned the nickname of ‘Dada’ for his good deeds.
Nagpur Mayor Dayashankar Tiwari also recognised Nimje’s efforts, and felicitated him as a ‘corona warrior’ when the second wave of the pandemic was ravaging the country.
Unfortunately, Nimje himself tested positive for Covid-19 in early May, but failed to find a government hospital for treatment. His family used their life savings to find a spot at an expensive private facility.
Despite being of help to so many families, no one came to help Nimje whose health deteriorated and he was in urgent need of Tocilizumab injection. His family and close friends even contacted the Nagpur Municipal Corporation commissioner, but realised that no one was ready to help the person who tried to help everybody.
“I personally called the Collector, NMC chief, and political leaders to arrange an injection. But no one picked up calls,” said Arvind Rataudi who runs King Cobra Youth Force (KCYF), the NGO where Nimje was volunteering.
Nimje said goodbye to the world on May 26 as the life-saving injection could not be arranged.
Furious by Nimje’s death, Rataudi said he will soon file a case in Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court against Maharashtra Chief Minister, NMC, and Nagpur Collector for “negligence leading to his untimely death”.
“If we, with our thousands of activists, failed to get timely help for the old man, imagine the plight of common citizens due to such an attitude of authorities,” the KCYF founder said.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here.
Comments
0 comment