44 people, including 20 cancer patients & their attendants, stuck in Mumbai since March

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 19

At least 44 people, including 20 cancer patients, from Kashmir, are stuck in Mumbai since the lockdown began, and are desperately awaiting evacuation to the Valley.

The stuck cancer patients have already completed their treatments at the Tata Cancer Hospital, Mumbai, and are currently putting up along with their attendants in rented accommodations in various hotels, lodges and guest houses.

They say are forced to pay heavy rents daily waiting to be evacuated to Kashmir.

Punar Kour, an attendant with cancer patient Pushparaj Kour from Srinagar, told The Tribune over the phone that the prolonged stay had been draining the patients and the attendants financially as well as psychologically.

She requested that J&K government to make some special arrangement for the evacuation of 20 Cancer patients and their attendants as the patients cannot travel in trains due to the already compromised immunity.

“I have the list of 44 people from Kashmir, including around 20 cancer patients who were here for treatment at the Tata Cancer Hospital, but have been stuck in Mumbai since March — when lockdown began,” Punar Kour said.

On average, each patient was paying Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500 rent per day to secure their lodgement in a costly city like Mumbai, notwithstanding the huge treatment costs, Kour added.

She said: “Her patient had already completed the treatment and their flight tickets were booked on March 24. But we could not fly as before our scheduled departure the countrywide lockdown began,” she said, adding that all who were stuck were passing through a difficult time.

She urged the authorities, particularly the Maharashtra Chief Minister and J&K Liutenant-Governor to make some special arrangements for the evacuation of the 20 cancer patients back to Kashmir.