In another case that shows the extremes to which employees of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) have gone through, the wife of a council watchman has refused treatment despite suffering from severe abdominal pains since January on account of the family’s poor financial situation.
Employees of the GHADC have been agitating for their unpaid salaries for over 34 months, with the watchman in question in the same boat as well.
Despite her own suffering, his 48-year-old wife had to make the choice to forgo treatment because the cost of that would have to come out of the family’s food budget.
This matter came to light after an activist was informed of the serious condition of the woman, identified as the wife of Rosephika R Marak, and rushed to meet her to see if there was any help that could be garnered.
The family of seven lives in a two-room GHADC quarters.
“The husband upon meeting me cried while explaining the situation. He grieved over the fact that he had no money due to the situation to treat her,” said one of the volunteers who went to meet her.
The woman has been living on a liquid diet as she has not been able to eat solid food due to excruciating pain.
The volunteer will help her get a check-up tomorrow. “She is using local medicines but they have not made a difference,” he said.
There are reportedly more families of GHADC employees who are in similar conditions.
