Thane family struggling to cope after losing their son to COVID-19

Dipak and Pratibha Thakur

A minor toothache can devolve into unbearable pain was Dr Akshay Thakur's justification for visiting his dental clinic at Ulwe during the initial days of the coronavirus outbreak last year. His parents would grudgingly agree. But the doctor's commitment towards his patients cost him and his family dearly.

Dr Akshay Thakur

The 29-year-old Thane resident succumbed to COVID las July. His parents are yet to come to terms with the fact that they could not get a final glimpse of Akshay as they too had tested positive at the time. "We are physically alive but mentally we are exhausted. We have requested our relatives and friends not to visit us at least for the next couple of years," his father Dipak, who lives in Thane's Upvan area. He said their only solace at the moment is their daughter's five-year-old son Kaivalya.

Akshay is among the 700-plus doctors who died across the country of COVID.

"Aai, I am fine now, I will be discharged in the next two days," were Akshay's last words to his mother Pratibha, who too was admitted at the same hospital in Navi Mumbai, on July 2, 2020. But, he started sinking on July 5 and passed away in a few hours. With no source of income, Dipak and Pratibha, 56, are now staring at a huge financial crisis. Of the R14 lakh that they had spent on their treatment, they still have a debt of Rs 8 lakh.

"All my retirement funds were used for Akshay's dental education. I do not have any pension. Akshay was to get married in a few weeks. We were looking forward to settling with our future daughter-in-law [a lawyer]. We even sold the jewellery that we had bought for her to foot the hospital bills," said Dipak. They are yet to clear the EMIs that have piled up against a dental chair bought by Akshay.

Dipak with their daughter's son, Kaivalya, 5. Pic/Sameer Markande

Soon after his son's death, Dipak suffered a heart attack, while Pratibha's health went on a slide. He then began visiting government offices hoping to receive the R50 lakh compensation that the government pays to the kin of departed COVID warriors. Akshay did not have any health cover.

"Initially, even the staff at Thane collector's office sympathised with me. But nobody at government offices had a clue about the insurance scheme. After writing to state and central officials, I recently received a reply saying that it is applicable only to government staffers. No doctors' association came forward to help either," said Dipak, adding that his daughter is a school teacher and earns a mere Rs 8,000 a month.

All hopes dashed, Dipak said he will take up a part-time job to fund his and Pratibha's sustenance.

"My wife is still to come out of the shock. We pray to God that aged parents should never go through the grief of losing their child ever."