The severely malnourished child was on the verge of death. I quickly set up an IV to give him much needed nutrition and other supplements.
Hours later when he was stable I turned in anger upon the illiterate parents. " Why are you starving this child? He needs proper food! "
Tears dropped down the broken, skeletal man who stood before me with folded hands. "Look around you, Doctor Sahib, the land is dead. We have no food."
There was not even water for
drinking and the mansoon have failed. All the people were suffering and we have not had proper food. When we couldn't do anything with the barren lands, how can we provide food that to nutritional
food to him. We have not had our food for the past few days.
In fact we are very much interested in giving to him good foods. But it's not in our hands. since the mansoon have failed we couldn't do any cultivation works. We are going for National Rural Employment Programme conducted by the government of India (NREP.) there hardly provided us minimum of 100 days employment for each family members. There also a lot malpractices were going on. The rice given for our work ( food for work programme) was sold in the block market and lakhs and laks of rupees was swindled by them. The daily wages of 160 are so was not given, only they're giving 60 to 90 rupees,but they are getting thump impression for 160 rupees in the vouchers. If we refuse for that, they will not give work and we will be removed from the muster roll.
The doctor knows all those things, but as a single individual person he can't do anything against the mofia groups. Then he decided to do something for him. He told him to come to his house, next day and handed over him whatever available with him like some used clothes, some food articles etc and told him that, he can come at regular intervals to get some free samples for him and for his child.
With the support of the doctor, his son had recovered and he is alright now. Meantime he has arranged for some agricultural loan for getting some milch animal, cow so that he can get some more by maintaining that cow.
The former was asked to shift to the town and was provided with some employment. The government is giving him free rice of 30 kilos per month along with Pluse and Palmolive under Annayogna Scheme. One day, the boy went outside, to get some food from some body nearby to him as there parents gone out for work.
But I was hesitant to ask anyone to give him some food as he was very much hungry. Finally he with a great reluctant gone to one house, and decided to ask for something to eat. He stood outside and called, one lady come out, by seeing her, he with a great hesitation asked for some water to drink. By seeing the plight of the boy, without uttering even a single word she went inside her house, and handed over him one tumbler full of milk. He was much pleased and drank that milk in one gulp. He was that much hungry. After that the boy asked her, whether he can do any work to help her as a token of her love and affection in return. She said, no issues and doesn't require anything.
Time flies like anything. Now he has studied and working as a Doctor in a private hospital after 20 years. He is a famous Neuro Surgeon and a specialist for in that subject. One day after his inpatient ward visit, while going through the files of the patients, he has seen one name, she was admitted for a Cyst in nearby her brain and requires immediate surgery which cost her some hefty amount of some lakhs. He got a doubt, he rushed to the inpatient ward to see whether she is the one, who has helped him when he was in hungry by providing him with milk. He has been there and confirmed that she was the same lady, who helped him, 20 years ago.
She was in a semi-conscious stage under sedation. From that day onwards he has taken a personal care and performed her the necessary operation and removed the Cyst which was near the brain matter. She was given proper treatment and she was out of danger, and she is about to be discharged today. The day has come, the hospital authorities have prepared a lengthy bill for a hefty amount of some lakhs as fee for her treatment. She opened her eyes and saw the bill amount, she may not know what to do for such a huge amount?. Her husband has gone out to get some money to pay the hospital bill. But to her surprise there was something written in pen, at the bottom of the bill that you need not pay this amount, which was paid already by me in token of your love of one tumbler of milk provided to me 20 years ago. You can take care of your health I am ready to help at any time, you can feel free to ask me without any hesitation. I am indebted to you.