Covid-19: Little girl and her family from Kiphire find home away from home

Our Correspondent
Kohima, April 15 (EMN): A four-year-old girl from Kiphire district, who was undergoing treatment since January this year, and her family members — father and brother — found themselves with nowhere to go due to the nationwide lockdown when she was finally discharged from the hospital in Kohima on Monday.

When things were looking grim, the district administration stepped in and provided the family from Sangkumti village in Kiphire district with shelter and basic needs. They are now housed at a government-run relief camp located at Kohima local ground.

The girl’s father, who is in his early 50s, said that her four-year-old daughter (youngest) got injured after being electrocuted on January 20 and was brought to District Hospital, Dimapur for treatment, where they stayed for a month.

After being referred to Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK) for further treatment, she was taken to Kohima, where she received treatment for another month until she was asked to vacate at the facility after it was converted to a Covid-19 hospital last month. The little girl was shifted to Oking Hospital in the same town and was there till she was discharged earlier this week.

 ‘We hesitated to shift to a private hospital initially as we had spent all the money we have, by then. But when we were told that the government will bear the medical expenditure, we agreed,’ said the father, who is a NAP (on leave).

After the girl was discharged from the hospital, the family tried to arrange a vehicle to reach home (Kiphire) but it was not possible due to the lockdown. The father said that one person from their community, who works in Kohima (government servant), helped and brought them to the relief camp.

 ‘All food and basic needs are provided to us by the government,’ he said, adding that his daughter is now “eating well”.

Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kohima, Lithrongla Tongpi Rutsa said that the family came to the relief camp on Tuesday. They have a relative in Kohima but didn’t want to at this juncture. Colonies restrict visitors, and when it is involved with those discharged from hospital, apprehension will be more, she pointed out.

Upon receiving information that the family had nowhere to go ‘we approached them to come and stay at the government-run relief camp on April 14, at Kohima local ground, as they will need medicine for the treatment of the young girl,’ Rutsa said. Moreover, the girl has to go for re-checkup in the first week of May, she added.

 ‘The official relief camp is set up at Indira Gandhi Stadium, but only one family has come so far, so we thought to keep them here,’ she said. If the number of people increases, they will be shifted to a designated camp, the officer said, adding that the district administration has also earmarked two to three more designated camps.

 ‘As of now, not many people have come forward to stay in relief camp but there are stranded travellers and students, so we are giving them relief materials on a daily basis,” Rutsa said.

Till April 14, around 14,000 people have availed relief materials and essential commodities (rice dal, salt, potatoes etc.), she said. However, they learned on Wednesday that people are in need of kerosene too as gas and firewood are not available. In this regard, Rutsa said that the district administration is making arrangements to provide them kerosene on Wednesday evening itself.

She assured that the administration has essential commodities for the whole lockdown period. People staying in Kohima are coming for the second time to avail relief; they can come and collect goods any day,’ she said.