BENGALURU: Even as the bomb blast at Church Street struck terror into the hearts of the city’s residents, for one young woman it was as if she was back at the centre of an attack that she has relived every day since April 17, 2013, when the bomb that exploded outside the BJP office in Malleswaram tore into her leg and robbed her of her lifestyle.
N.S. Leesha’s life has never been the same. The 18 year old collapsed in a flood of tears at the news of the Church Street blast, Leesha’s father Doreswamy Raj said.
“Bomb blasts anywhere rock her emotionally and psychologically and she takes time to recover,” he said.
“Leesha has not slept all night, she's extremely worried about the blast in Bengaluru. She keeps asking why innocent and gullible people are subjected to such attacks.
Our family has suffered these two years. My daughter is not able to stand on her own or go to college independently like she used to.”
Discharged on December 20 this year from M.S. Ramaiah hospital after her seventh surgery, she is dreading the thought of going back to hospital for the next surgery in six months, even as her father says that the government’s announcements of compensation do not mesh with reality.
The medical assistance offered by the government following the blast is not made available until Mr Raj knocked on many doors while the Rs 1 lakh compensation offered by the government barely covers her medical expenses.
Though doctors had promised that within six months her condition will be okay, even after seven surgeries she is suffering. She also needs to undergo a bone implant surgery.
Mr Raj, in fact, attended a ‘Janata Darshan’ in November last year, and asked for more money for Leesha's medical expenses from CM Siddaramaiah, but to no avail.
“Sadly, authorities question the bomb victims over why we run up huge medical bills. They don't bother to check with the doctors to see whether the victim has recovered or not. Now, I am running from pillar to post to claim '94,000 spent on treatment.”
