The death of hundreds of children in Muzaffarpur has exposed the government’s ineptitude. However, many people and organisations have stepped up to help those in need. The Quint met with the volunteers who took responsibility when the government failed to do so, and help the children who are grappling with encephalitis.
“We heard on social media that children are dying of encephalitis. We assessed SKMCH hospital. We saw the washrooms were locked. We got them opened. Cleaners would charge Rs 10 to use the washrooms. We stopped that practice. We saw there was no facility for drinking water. Doctors did not have gloves or head caps. There were many such problems. We collected some money and bought medical kits for doctors and nurses.”Anil, Student
“The government’s actions are always delayed. They start working only when everything is over. When we saw the condition of the hospital there was no drinking water, people were sleeping on dirty floors... that’s when we thought we should do something.”Touseef Alam, Student
(This story was originally published on Quint Hindi)
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