Ordeal of Rangamati elderly man

A 70-year-old man of Rangamati was undergoing treatment at the district Sadar hospital due to his old age complications. But the doctors released him today as the hospital is overcrowded with the victims of recent landslides in the hilly areas.

The ordeal began as his family members had to take him to Chittagong Medical College Hospital amid disruption of road communication of the district with the port city due to impact of the landslides.

Nepal Dey’s son and relatives had to carry him in a makeshift stretcher through a formidable road which is above 500 metre altitude to reach the connecting road to Chittagong more than a kilometre away.

They had to carry the septuagenarian braving the muddy and treacherous road deteriorating his condition further.

Rangamati Sadar Hospital is reeling from an influx of the landslide victims and Nepal Dey was almost left untreated there, said his son Sajal Dey.

Doctors stated that Nepal’s condition was critical and referred him to CMCH for proper treatment, he said.

“We have no other option but to take my father to CMCH as there was no treatment at the Sadar Hospital,” Sajal said.

“We have to carry him in this way up to one kilometer,” he said adding the road is almost inaccessible with the mud making it slippery and extremely precarious.

Meanwhile, for another septuagenarian Rumi Barua, it was a horrific experience as she had to cross the hills to come to Rangamati from Chittagong along with her relatives through the hellish road.

She also fell sick due to the extremely rigorous journey, her relatives said.

Her relatives also said they had no idea what was waiting for them on the way while coming to Rangamati.

Policemen were also seen taking an arrestee to custody through the perilous road crossing the hilly forest in Sapchari area of Rangamati.

At least 150 people, including army men, women and children, were killed in the recent landslides in hilly districts -- Rangamati, Chittagong, Bangadban and Cox’s Bazar -- after a depression in the Bay caused the torrential rain.