 Manoj Sadguru Tiwari was injured
in the August 25 twin blasts.
Pic: M M Shirodkar Manoj Sadguru Tiwari (21) hobbles around ward 13 of J J Hospital on a pair of borrowed crutches. Injured in the August 25 twin blasts, Tiwari has been forced to borrow money to finance his treatment. The state, Tiwari alleges, has reneged on its promise of free treatment for blast victims.
Soon after the blasts, people visited us and told us that treatment would be free, Tiwari said. Two months later, he has spent over Rs 5,000 on medication and paid Rs 800 for a nerve function test at Jaslok Hospital. I have been given only Rs 25,000 as compensation. The authorities told us this was all that had been sanctioned, Tiwari said. The state had announced Rs 50,000 as compensation for the injured.
Tiwari was on his way to the Mumbadevi temple when the blast occurred. He was beside the taxi in which the bomb was placed. His cousin and uncle, who were with him, died in the blast.
Last Thursday, doctors told me to check the nerve function in my right hand at Jaslok Hospital, Tiwari said. He was reportedly told that J J Hospital didnt have the requisite facilities to conduct the test. They told us it would cost around Rs 1,700. Fortunately, it cost only Rs 800, Tiwari said.
An employee with a rubber moulding factory, Tiwari sustained 40 per cent burns on his hands, chest and face. He fractured his left tibia and suffered multiple injuries. The tympanic membrane in both ears is torn. I have 18 holes in my leg. Each is big enough to push a finger through, he said.
Doctors at Jaslok Hospital told Tiwari that he is unlikely to recover the nerve function in his hand. I wont be able to get back to my job. Without the use of my hand I have lost my livelihood, he said.
A resident of Bhayandar, Tiwari lives in a one-room tenement with his father, mother, brother and grandmother. The combined income of father and son is Rs 5,000. They got some monetary help from the Caritas Forum. Otherwise, they wouldnt have been able to afford his treatment, said Leslie Pereira, a social worker who helped the Tiwaris.
The doctors have probably not taken the necessary precaution. I will need to check it out, said Dr G B Davar, dean, J J Hospital, when informed about Tiwari. He will be reimbursed when he produces the bill, he added.
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