<i>Challenged boy at DMCH crying for hope </i>
The unidentified boy on a DMCH bed.Photo: STAR
A physically challenged and unidentified eight-year old boy is fighting for life at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). The boy was seriously injured in a road accident and was admitted in bed number 1 of ward no 33 of DMCH on November 12 last year. The helpless boy can only cry and has to be monitored round-the-clock, which makes the job of taking care of him difficult. Dr Salma Sultana, consultant at the casualty block (wards 32 and 33), said the boy is physically, mentally and intellectually challenged. She said they were trying to improve the condition of the boy and rehabilitate him. Ward sources said two ayahs (attendants) of ward 33 (children and women's ward) are taking care of the boy. He was at first able to normally consume liquid food (milk and horlicks), which is not included in the regular DMCH diet list, but now has to take it through a pipe inserted through the nostrils. One of the ayahs said some doctors and DMCH Social Welfare Department used to provide financial assistance and medicine but now sources are dwindling. A DMCH social welfare officer requesting anonymity said they received a request from the doctors around 15 days back and they contacted two rehabilitation centres. Dr Salma said after visiting the boy, representatives of the two rehabilitation centres expressed their unwillingness to take the boy. The ayah told The Daily Star that a tea vendor Mohammad Sohel rescued the boy from Madani Nagar on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway under Siddhirganj of Narayanganj district and brought him to DMCH. Sohel tried to find the boy's relatives by announcing through microphone and searched the area for two days but to no avail, added the ayah.
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