A 75-Year-Old Man’s Painful 300-km Journey Carrying His Paralyzed Wife on a Trolley

A 75-Year-Old Man’s Painful 300-km Journey Carrying His Paralyzed Wife on a Trolley

Pulled by Love, Broken by the System: When Poverty Tests Humanity and Public Welfare

CNB World Times

Cuttack, Odisha, 20^th Jan, 26: In a country that proudly calls itself a democracy, the voices of the poor and helpless are often unheard. National media is largely occupied with political debates, leaving stories of human suffering unnoticed. As a result, many states and their people remain ignored. The victims of this neglect are the poorest citizens, who struggle silently. Despite the reach of social media, their pain rarely reaches the public or the administration.

At the same time, it is important to acknowledge those media houses that highlighted this issue with human sensitivity and the police personnel who came forward to help in a difficult situation.

One such heartbreaking incident occurred in Odisha’s Sambalpur district. A 75-year-old man, Babu Lohar, pulled a trolley rickshaw for nearly 300 kilometers to take his paralyzed wife, Jyoti Lohar (70), to the state’s largest government hospital—SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. Due to severe financial hardship, he had no other means of transport. This incident has exposed the harsh reality of public welfare and the healthcare system.

After two months of treatment, Jyoti Lohar was discharged from SCB Hospital. With no money to return home, the old man again started the long journey back to Sambalpur on the same trolley. However, fate struck again. Near Chaudwar Gandhi Square, an unknown vehicle hit the trolley. Jyoti fell onto the road and was seriously injured.

Local people rushed to help. As the 108 ambulance arrived late, the Chaudwar police used their vehicle to take her to a private hospital. Later, she was shifted to the Tangi Community Health Center for treatment. The police also took custody of the trolley rickshaw.

This incident raises serious questions. When an elderly man pulls his paralyzed wife over such a long distance, why did no authority notice? Why did the hospital administration not arrange an ambulance or inform the concerned department to help them return safely? Such negligence is a matter of shame for both the state and the nation. The old man was clearly helpless and had no option but to take this painful decision.

There should be an updated system to track poor, elderly, and helpless patients so that proper transport and medical support can be provided to them in time.

Sadly, this is not an isolated case. Earlier, a 61-year-old rag-picker, Kabir Bhuin, pedalled a rented trolley rickshaw for more than 14 hours to take his sick wife from Sakhigopal in Puri district to SCB Hospital in Cuttack. He could not afford the ₹1,200 demanded by an autorickshaw driver for the 90-kilometer journey and did not have a mobile phone to call an ambulance.

These incidents clearly show the daily struggle of the poor to access basic healthcare. They also highlight the urgent need for better transport facilities, stronger monitoring, and a more humane approach from the administration. Human dignity should not depend on money. The system must act before more lives are pushed into such painful journeys.