Two die in Redbank

TT, Jalpaiguri, April 17: Two residents of the closed Redbank tea estate died today because of lack of treatment and absence of proper arrangement to take them to hospital.

The deceased, Amar Baraik, 45, was a worker of the Redbank garden and Dulari Nayak, 62, was a retired worker.

According to residents, Amar, a permanent worker of the garden residing at Girja Line, was suffering from liver problems and tuberculosis.

"He was under treatment at the block health centre and had returned home a few weeks ago. Later, his condition deteriorated and he was asked to go to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri for treatment. But due to lack of money, he couldn't get admitted to the NBMCH and died at his home this morning," Mundri Baraik, Amar's relative, said.

"Dulari was suffering from different ailments and had no money to visit a hospital for treatment. Her condition worsened a few days ago and she died at her home today," Shekhar Pradhan, a worker of Redbank, said.

The garden is closed for the past two-and-a-half years.

"Most of the youths have left in search of jobs. People like us who are staying here are doing odd jobs to earn money and living on the doles provided by the state. The visit of health teams has become irregular. We have information that the district health department is supposed to provide free ambulance service to the patients in the closed and sick tea gardens, but no such service is available here," Pradhan said.

The state government cancelled the land lease of Redbank, closed since 2013, in October 2014.

"We have voted with the only hope that the state will do something to reopen the garden," Rajesh Oraon, another worker of Redbank, said.