Teenage mine victim languishes in RIMS
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network
Imphal, June 09 2011:
A teenage boy who is a victim of landmine has been languishing without any hope of living a normal life again in a hospital ward in Imphal for over one year without any compensation from the government.
On February 18, 2010, 17 year old Ngampao Haokip, accompanied by his colleagues James, Tinneng and Sokholun were coming back from their jhum field, James stepped on a landmine and the explosion killed James instantly while the other three sustained critical injuries, recalled Haokip, who is being treated in the Ortho Ward of RIMS in Imphal for over one year now.
All the victims are from Lonpi village in Chakpikarong sub-division of Chandel district.
The area is infested with underground groups who had planted hundreds of landmines to keep at bay security forces at the height of the secessionist movement.
The area is strategic in the sense that Myanmar is just across the frontier where they can find sanctuary from counter insurgency operations.
While Tinneng and Sokholun were discharged after two months, Ngampao Haokip had his left leg and right arm amputated and he is waiting for his right leg to be amputated on June 25 .
Talking to Newmai News Network, Tinkhoneng, mother of Ngampao Haokip said until now not a paisa has been forthcoming from the state government.
"I am not so much at pain about the failure of the government to compensate us as much as am at pain about the future of my son after I am gone" .
"We are unable on many occasions to even pay for the kitchen rent of ' 5 at the hospital let alone footing the escalating bills of treatment at the hospital," she added.
When his friends are going to colleges and dreaming big for the future, Ngampao Haokip sits looking blank at the hospital walls.
"I used to anticipate government's assistance before, but now I have given up all hope and have stopped expecting it.
I don't mind now," is what the teenager said with an air of frustration and hopelessness.
Ngampao's father is a farmer whose only income from the farm barely meets the expenses at the hospital.
The family has spent about ' 2 lakh for the treatment of Ngampao which was mobilized by selling building materials that they had painstakingly accumulated for their house.
The family is in deep debt now, said the mother.
However, in the midst of the dark clouds, a silver lining has appeared for the family in the form of his doctor Dr Ibomcha who insists on lessening the burden of the family expenses even if in small tokens.
The family said that they are irreplaceably indebted to the doctor for rendering assistance when all doors had closed on them.
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