Bengaluru: A 56-year-old man who claimed to be a government hospital in Chikkamagaluru for the treatment of Covid recovered from infection but fell on the toilet there made it with injured legs which eventually had to be amputated.
When his family desperately tried to mobilize money for care, they were surprised to know that cyber criminals had used his fate to increase funds through social media.
KOPPA Resident and Local Pastor Chacko PM contracted Covid-19 years ago during the early days of pandemic.
The father of two of two was tested positive last July and was shifted to the quarantine facility attached to the Chikkamagaluru government hospital.
“I was there for four days and my condition deteriorated when I had difficulty breathing.
While shifting to the government hospital, I slipped and fell when climbing to an ambulance.
I was weak and losing my balance and left leg hurt,” Chacko said.
While in the ICU for 14 days for Covid care, a leg injury was attended.
Things turned worse after he fell again, this time in the sick room in the sick room.
“I recovered from Covid and was dismissed on August 28, 2020, and returned home.
When I was diabetes, my leg injury was not cured.
I tried to get treatment at the hospital in Chikkamagaluru but there were no facilities that received non-covid patients,” remember Chacko.
Chacko’s efforts to get treatment were finally bored in January 2021 when he contacted each of them to the doctor at a special Max Super Hospital, Shivamoga.
“His legs were infected with lack of care,” Kavitha’s wife said, who had additional responsibility to treat their two small children.
“Finally, we took him to the Udupi mission hospital where his left leg was amputated on March 13 this year.
We took him home after two weeks,” he added.
Chacko is the only breadwinner from the family and fulfills the need with contributions from friends and family.
In the midst of the second wave of Covid and Kuncian infection, he could not travel to Shivamogga from Chikkamagaluru for the treatment of follow-up and the situation affected his health.
He also developed kidney disease.
Cybercriminals Cash Indding for their tribulation, a family friend told them in June that his photo with amputated limbs was posted on Facebook with a telephone number installed on e-Wallet requesting urgent donations for care.
“We struggled to raise funds for his treatment because he had been without work since the first lock.
Crowdfunding on this social media by unknown people came as a surprise,” Kavitha said.
Chacko extended social media to friends and family two weeks ago to tell them that fundraising in his name was the work of Cybercriminals.
Even when Chacko and his family struggled to pay his medical bills, they could not contact friends and acquaintances for financial assistance because many had contributed to criminals who took advantage of his situation.