Darjeeling dist gathers info on kids orphaned by Covid-19

SNS,  SILIGURI, 12 JUNE 21 : The Darjeeling district administration is working to gather data of the number of children who have been orphaned by Covid-19.

Sources at the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights said the number of such children could he higher than last year.

The Supreme Court has directed the Centre and the states to furnish the data relating to the number of children orphaned by the pandemic and steps being taken for their rehabilitation.

The Centre has also issued guidelines for the care and protection of children affected by Covid-19 and fixed responsibilities for the states, district magistrates, and the police.

The apex court has further directed authorities to take "stringent action" against those resorting to illegal adoption of children orphaned or abandoned due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The commission has moved the Calcutta High Court with a petition, seeking a directive to the Election Commission of India to pay compensation to children orphaned by Covid-19 and to families that lost children to the infection after the announcement of the Assembly elections.

According to Darjeeling district magistrate S Ponnambalam, the identification of such children was under process. "The process is underway and it will be completed soon," he said.

An official said they were preparing a database with the profile of those children.

The details of assistance to children who have lost one parent to Covid-19 are also not clear as yet.

According to psychiatric social worker Vaishali Roy, the situation had devastated their childhood and that children had not been in good mental health.

"Losing parents is an irreparable loss for the children, and they stare at an uncertain future. Such a situation has had the most impact on children," Ms Roy said.

Some organisations and Good Samaritans have come forward for such children who have lost their parents to Covid-19 in Siliguri.

According to the department of health and family welfare, West Bengal, Darjeeling district has counted more than 400 Covid-19 deaths so far, and among them are some deaths in the district where children lost both their parents.

However, a section of doctors believe that the number of Covid-19 deaths is higher and they also include deaths in government as well as private hospitals, death during transit to hospitals, death in home isolation and death from post Covid-19 complications.