Palampur: Bread-winners gone, widows stare at bleak future

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, May 27

After towns, Covid has now started leaving its impact on rural areas in the state. Despite the fact that the number of Covid positive cases is coming down in Kangra, hundreds of Covid patients are in a critical condition in hospitals.

Tales of sorrow

• Santosh and Ruchi narrated how their lives were changed when Covid snatched their husbands within three months. Santosh Kumari said her husband Rakesh Chand had a fever and chest infection.
• He was diagnosed with Covid. He was taken to Tanda medical college where he died after seven days.
• She said her son Anil Guleria was working as a designer in a press. On May 5, he had also tested positive and died after struggling for five days in Covid Care Hospital, Dharamsala.

Almost every village in Palampur has suffered the heat of the pandemic.

After half an hour travelling from Palampur, this correspondent reached a small village Samana near Bhawarna where Covid has killed both bread-earners of a family, the father and son. Now only widows are left in the house.

Santosh and Ruchi narrated how their lives were changed when Covid snatched their husbands within three months. Santosh Kumari said her husband Rakesh Chand had a fever and chest infection. He was diagnosed with Covid. He was taken to Tanda medical college where he died after seven days.

She said her 39-year-old son Anil Guleria was working as a designer in a press. On May 5, he had also tested positive and died after struggling for five days in Covid Care Hospital, Dharamsala. He had left behind 33-year-old widow. Now only two women are left in the house without any source of income.

Most deaths in the village have taken place because of the shortage of oxygen beds in hospitals. The sick were being rushed to Covid Care Hospitals and the critically ill patients were referred to the TMC.

Many residents of the village said the state government should come out with a policy to help such families and sanction ex gratia to the Covid victims