Karnataka border blockade claims second life — this time a Kannadiga

According to the Ambulance Owners and Drivers Association (AODA), around 100 dialysis patients from Kasaragod depend on hospitals in Mangaluru.
Vehicles  being  checked at  Talapady checkpost in Mangaluru on Saturday | express
Vehicles  being  checked at Talapady checkpost in Mangaluru on Saturday | express

KASARAGOD: The 21-day lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus has claimed a second life in Kasaragod, because of the stringent blockade at the border by Karnataka police. Fathima, 70, known as Pathunhi — a native of Bantwal in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka — died early morning on Sunday.

Fifteen days ago, she had come to her granddaughter’s house at Udyavara, a place just 1.5km from the border, at Manjeshwar in Kasaragod district of Kerala. Around 6.45 pm, Fathima developed breathing difficulties and her relatives called in an ambulance. “We were on our way to a hospital at Deralakatte in Mangaluru, just 15km from Pathunhi’s house when Karnataka police blocked us at Talapady toll gate,” said Aslam Kunjathur, the ambulance driver. He said he had pleaded with the Karnataka police for 15 minutes. “They just said they do not need patients from Kerala,” he said.

Aslam told the police that Fathima was from Karnataka. But even then, the officers would not open the gate. He then tried an inroad at Kedumpady, but that was barricaded too. “Then I tried to use private roads, but the resident on the other side of the border blocked us,” said Aslam. He returned home with Fathima around 8pm. “When I called the family around 6am, they told me she died. I wish they showed some humanity,” he said.

This is the second such death in Kasaragod. On Thursday night, Abdul Hamid, 60, of Kunjathur in Manjeshwar, died of a heart attack. His family had tried hard to take him to the hospital in Mangaluru, but the police would not allow them in. The hospital was just 12km from their house.

According to the Ambulance Owners and Drivers Association (AODA), around 100 dialysis patients from Kasaragod depend on hospitals in Mangaluru. On Saturday, Beefathima, who recently underwent a kidney transplant at Kasturba Medical College in Mangaluru felt dizzy and wanted an urgent checkup. An ambulance was called in. “We tried to go to Mangaluru but we were blocked. We went to Kasaragod, and there was no doctor to see a kidney transplant patient,” said Aslam, who is the district secretary of the (AODA). In the end, Beefathima was taken to Kozhikode medical college, 250km away.

‘We don’t know when there will be a solution’

The Karnataka government’s decision to keep out patients from Kasaragod was deplorable, Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan said on Sunday. The minister is heading the disaster management committee of Kerala. The state government has taken up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to find a solution, he said.

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