TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: She is a senior citizen, ailing and injured after being assaulted by a policeman. Yet Abida Beig has received no State support. Her assaulter, though in prison, is theoretically being taken care of by the State.
In the second week of March, 70 year old Abida Beig was assaulted by a police constable Amjad Karol and left naked on the road in Bicholim. Passersby called 108 and Abida was admitted to Goa Medical College (GMC) and is under medical treatment and in a destitute condition.
While Abida is currently being taken care of by the GMC, she is no longer able to look after herself and has no family to go back to. What’s worse is that the government run Provedoria, instead of reaching out to her, has bound her in red tape making it virtually impossible for her to receive financial assistance.
“The nurses informed that Abida is going to be discharged and asked the volunteer from Bailancho Saad to take her from hospital. We informed the nurse that the woman is a destitute and that the government hospital should refer her to a state run shelter,” Bailancho Saad chairperson Dr Sabina Martins said.
“The Provedoria asks for documents like ration card and letter from local authority stating she is a destitute. We asked how can a destitute woman who is bed ridden, provide documents or access NGOs. What about destitute women where there are no NGOs?” Dr Martins asked, as if condemning the callous attitude of state welfare institutions.
“We have been asked to produce a letter from the police to state that she is a destitute. The police will do so only after verification. We need passport size photograph which we will take on the hospital bed. There are issues like transport, clothes, adult pampers etc which needs to be arranged,” Martins said adding that even in such a situation the relatives of the accused have issued threats to all those helping the victim of crime.
Currently, Abida is being helped through crowd funding with people pitching in, in order that she at least has a caregiver for day and night services till date which requires Rs 400 a day. She can hardly talk, but speaks through gesticulation. Her statement is yet to be recorded as she is too frail and can barely move her jaws.
“While lakhs of rupees are spent on entertainment, foreign travel, expensive cars, dowry for laadli laxmis, why should the poor destitute woman continue to be destitute till death? Dr Martins asked demanding that the government should put systems in place to look after destitute women. The government hospitals should send destitute women to state run homes officially.
