Family Of Six Starved For Days After Covid Hit Income, Now In Hospital

A woman, who lost her husband and job due to the pandemic, and her five children have been admitted to a hospital here, apparently after they went without food for days.

Doctors at the Malkhan Singh District Hospital said the six family members were barely able to talk or stand up when they were admitted on Tuesday by some people.

The mother, Guddi (40), told mediapersons that after having lost her husband, who was the sole breadwinner, to Covid last year, she had been working at a lock factory. That too shut down a few months ago.

After the news surfaced, District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh rushed a team of officials to investigate the matter and extend relief, an official release said.

After losing her job, Guddi said her eldest son Ajay (20) started working as a daily wage construction worker but due to the lockdown in April during the second wave of coronavirus, he too lost his job and all sources of income dried up.

As no one was able to move out of their house located at Mandir ka Nagla under Sasni Gate police station area, Guddi said that for nearly eight weeks, they survived on ''chapatis'' which their neighbours used to give them.

However, 10 days back even such mercies ended and "the entire family went without a single meal", she said.

The District Magistrate has sent a team of three officials led by Sub Divisional Magistrate Kunwar Bahadur Singh to investigate the matter and "provide immediate relief including foodgrain, other food items and a sum of Rs 5,000 to the affected family", the release said.

He said that the matter is being investigated and further action will follow soon.