Young Tejesh Tulshidas Palyekar may have survived thenaphtha fire mishap but the scars of the tragedy will remain with him forlife.
His two cousin brothers Deepesh Digambar Palyekar (15) andShivam (12) were not so lucky after they were consumed by the dreaded fire onthat fateful day a year ago.
Tejesh now 12-years-old believes that his two buddies cumcousin bothers are still alive and are being treated in Mumbai.
He was the third and the last naphtha fire victim to bedischarged from National Burn Center, Airoli-Mumbai after 15 months oftreatment.
“We have not informed him that his two brothers have died inthe trajic incident,” said Tulshidas Palyekar father of Tejesh.
Tejesh has accepted our explanation and believes that histwo brothers who were more critical than him are still in the hospital,Palyekar said.
Tejesh’s day would begin and end with his cousin brothers.Even during that fateful morning of August 19, 2011, Tejesh along with hiscousin brothers and his friend Naveen Varad were playing alongside the nullahwhich suddenly burst into flames.
“We can’t explain the pain and agony we have gone through inthe last 15 months. We pray to God that even the worst of our enemies shouldnever go through what we went,” an emotional Palyekar said.
It is quite frustrating to see Tejesh, unable to use bothhis hands to carry out routine task of either eating or answering the nature’scall.
Burnt skin has grown thick along his elbow due to which heis unable to bend his hand. He also cannot bend his leg properly.
“Initially, for the first five months Zuari officials werevery supportive. But as days passed the company officials began harassing us totake our son’s discharge, even after knowing that the burn injuries of my sonwere not properly healed,” recalls Palyekar.
He said the Zuari officials have forcefully discharged hisson from NBC despite knowing that the patient had not fully recovered.
He further disclosed that Zuari officials were reluctant tobear future treatment cost and asked them to take Rs 3 lakh as lifetimetreatment for his son.
Meanwhile the doctors have advised Tejesh to stay in ahygienic place and away from mosquitoes.
But Palyekar resides in a less than 14 square meter singleroom next to a nullah, which is a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Zuari has reportedly spent nearly Rs 3.75 crore on treatmentof late Shivam Digamber Palekar, Tejash Tulshidas Palekar, Naveen Varad andPraveen. While Praveen was discharged immediately, Naveen Varad was dischargedafter almost nine months.
