On Friday, a 23-year-old mentally handicapped man was rescued from a miserable state and admitted to a mental health facility in Thane, thanks to the selfless gesture of a journalist and his social circle.
His condition is now said to be 50 percent stable from the day he was admitted. “Saala main toh saab ban gaya,” he was heard muttering, said a dietitian at the regional psychiatric hospital in Thane after being asked about his condition.
Prashant Narvekar
Prashant Narvekar, a photojournalist who had worked with renowned newspapers in Mumbai, was the first to see the man on Wednesday (July 29).
The man’s condition moved Narvekar, as the poor young man was pitifully searching a rubbish dump in the Vitawa area of Kalwa. Narvekar’s journalistic skills came into play and he began to inquire about the whereabouts of the young man. He then sought help from the Thane Civic Agency Regional Disaster Management Cell as well as the Kalwa Police.
While Narvekar was busy trying to get information from the young man, the policemen arrived at the scene only to leave the next moment, saying that their hands were tied in this matter.
Two days later, on Friday, Narvekar himself took the young man to the police station and even informed Thane Citizens’ Forum Chairman Kasber Augustine about the despondent situation. Teaming up for the human cause, Narvekar-Augustine took the man to Thane psychiatric hospital, with the cooperation of Dr. Safiya Akhtar.
Describing the efforts made to transport the youngsters, Augustine said: “With the help of the Thane Civic Corps Disaster Management Cell, our team lifted the man and put him in the ambulance. Policeman Bramhanand Patil helped us a lot. until the last moment”.
Others who joined the good cause to help the man included dietitian Shital Nagre and deputy superintendent of the psychiatric hospital, Dr. Sandeep Divekar.
Finally, the man was taken to court, seeking legal authorization to admit him to the hospital. However, convincing the man to go up to the third floor of the court was an arduous task, the rescue team recalled.
The judge approved the order, allowing the man’s admission to the psychiatric hospital.
After completing other legal formalities, the man was finally admitted to hospital. Breathing a sigh of relief as the altruistic efforts paid off, Narvekar exclaimed, “Finally, our mission to give this young man a new lease on life succeeded.”
Shital Nagare, a dietitian at a regional psychiatric hospital, told Thane: “The mentally disturbed man seems to be 50 percent okay now. He is responding well to treatment. On Monday he said he wanted to meet his father and mother, who are in Bihar. He reported that his father is a farmer and he came to Mumbai for work, but he didn’t get any job even after several attempts. Also, he doesn’t know how he got into the rubbish heap. We are also advising him regularly and soon he will be 100% fine.”
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<!– Published on: Monday, August 01, 2022, 10:15 PM IST –>
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