13/7 blasts: Victims, twice over?

The government has not been able to contact several 13/7 blasts victims, who were discharged within 24 hours after first-aid, to give them the compensation of Rs10,000 each.

As per the list available with DNA, 11 out of 25 such victims treated in OPDs of hospitals could not get the declared compensation due to negligence on the part of the hospitals, which took down the names but not the addresses and contact numbers. Following the blast the government had announced Rs5 lakh compensation to the next-of-kin of those killed in the blasts; Rs3 lakh for the disabled and Rs1 lakh to those treated as in-patients. OPD patients were to be given Rs10,000 each.

DNA has found this wasn’t the first time the state failed to manage a disaster such as a bomb blast. Even after 26/11, most hospitals had failed to note down names of victims with minor injuries, as there were no clear government instructions forthcoming.

In fact, in the case of 26/11 the list of OPD victims was not even made by any hospital. A senior officer in the collector’s office said, “This might be because the hospitals were not prepared and the rush was such that they got busy with treatment and forgot to record the details.”  

Then again the lack of such a list was not felt then as there was no Government Resolution (GR) to compensate them. Recently, three people injured in the 26/11 attacks approached the collector’s office seeking compensation. “We gave them Rs5,000 each. Had we had the list, we might have tried to reach out to such people,” the official said.

“Incomplete addresses of victims in 13/7 blasts and non-registration of names in the case of  26/11 is costing the victims in the form of compensation and follow up treatment,” said Jacquleen Joseph of the Tata Institute of Social Science.     

There were also victims with minor injuries who were taken to various private clinics. The list of such victims is not available.

“We have got nine more applications seeking compensation for injuries sustained in the 13/7 blasts… we have forwarded them to JJ hospital for verification,” said another official with the District Collectorate office. Compensation would be paid once they are verified as genuine.

While compensation is essential for initial treatment, the follow-up check-up is also a vital part. A lot of these minor injuries may become serious over time. Having names not registered means that these victims can’t go back to the hospitals for free follow-up treatment. “This leaves them with long-term complications,” said Joseph.

Sangita Sardar, 40, a domestic help from Akola district, is one of few cases who has been going to hospital for treatment after 26/11. Even after three years she finds it difficult to walk or stand for long. She has spent nearly Rs50,000 on follow-up treatment. “I am going to a nearby private hospital, as it is not possible for me to travel all the way to Mumbai for treatment,” she said.

DNA also found that follow-up treatment is difficult not just for unregistered patients but even for the severely injured registered patients. One of the victims of 26/11 attacks, who did not want to be named, said she went to JJ hospital twice to get follow-up check-up but was not given proper assistance.

“It has been more than three years but the pain has not gone. Had I got necessary support treatment from the hospital, I would have recovered,” she laments. Forced by the situation, she has now decided to go to a private hospital and bear all the expenses. While officials blame hospital administrations for such negligence, experts say that the state was not at all prepared for managing such disasters.