Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Balasore, Feb 19:

The 18-year-old critically ill, whose mother had earlier appealed to President Pranab Mukherjee for approving euthanasia, has died due to alleged medical negligence at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Odisha’s Cuttack.

mercy killing balasore boy

The family had admitted the boy to the premier government-run hospital with the Rs 30,000 financial help provided by the district administration after the news was published in media.

His father has alleged that the medical staff in the hospital neglected Biswajit as they were angry with the fact that the family had written to Governor SC Jamir and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Biswajit was admitted to the medicine ward for treatment following which the doctor had advised him for blood transfusion. He was distressed but the doctor and nurse in-charge did not attend the patient. At 7 pm yesterday, he breathed his last, his father alleged.

Biswajit, son of Khageswar and Sitarani Das suffered from chronic kidney ailment and needed Rs 12 lakh for transplant. Unable to foot the treatment expenses Sitarani Das, a resident of Shyamraipur village under Remuna Block, had appealed on February 15 to the President to allow her son Biswajit to end his life as he was paralysed and in excruciating pain.

In 2015, the family had spent Rs 20 lakh on the treatment by selling their ancestral land and jewellery. They had taken Biswajit to Bengaluru-based Manipal hospital. The doctors had told Khageswar Das that his son’s right kidney is completely damaged while the left is 40 per cent working.  The doctors had advised for a kidney transplant.

Last year, Biswajit was supposed to join college after passing matriculation. However, his mobility was restricted due to a paralytic attack.

Notably, the teenager has been suffering since he was two. His limbs swelled and his parents treated him in all possible way but to no avail. All medical treatments failed to cure him of unknown disease.

Undeterred, the 1998 born has lived most of his life in painkillers, passed his matriculation exams with good marks.

After spending all their money the family was finding it difficult to pay for the weekly Rs 20-25 thousand needed dialysis for every week.

See no hope in treatment due to paucity of funds, the parents had appealed to the President to allow mercy killing of Biswajit.