Injured construction labourers left to rot at hospital

Vikas Kanujiya, a wall painter, had a swollen chest and injuries to his hips. He was writhing in excruciating pain and could not stand up or walk.

His friend Rajkumar, who was helping him at the hospital, said doctors were doing nothing to ease his pain or treat his injuries. "They took some X-rays. That's all," he said.

Despite spending time at the Intensive Care Unit, Kanujiya was not getting any attention. Hospital staff were not even helping him shift from the ground to the second floor. "He has internal injuries. We can't risk shifting him and complicate the injuries," Rajkumar said.

While political leaders, including the mayor and the BBMP commissioner, made a beeline to the site of the building collapse, none of them stopped over at the hospital to check on the injured. While they announced compensation to the injured, they did not communicate it to the hospital.

Eleven of the 12 injured workers were admitted to the Stanford Speciality Hospital on Kasavanahalli Main Road. Except for first aid, they were not given any treatment. One of the workers was taken to Manipal Hospital.

Mohammad Ansari, a plastering worker from Gorakhpur who lost his brother Anwar Ansari, uncles Sher Mohammad and Hazarath in the building collapse, said he had severe head injuries. "No treatment was given at the hospital except first aid," he said.

Since the workers lived inside the collapsed building, their luggage and the money they had saved are stuck in the rubble. Without a bank account, they could not ask relatives to deposit cash for them. The private hospital also billed them for every medicine, Mohammad said.

Ram Nivas, who had none to care for, said officials asked him for an ID proof when their belongings were buried in the rubble. "If officials give us just Rs 2,000, I'll go back to my native Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh)," Nivas, who suffered leg fractures, said.

Kanujiya (21), who is also from Nivas' village, said two women inquired about his health and gave him braces while he lay in pain.

DH has found that some local residents in Bellandur had formed a WhatsApp group - Helping Hand - to collect money for people in need like these injured workers.

Bharathi Mani, a former IT professional and member of the group, said the members visited the hospital and gave medicines and food to them.

She said the hospital had billed them Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 and the total could be somewhere around Rs 2 lakh. She urged the government to ask the builder to pay for the medical expenses.

Sylvia, medical administrator, Stanford Specialty Hospital, said the hospital has no official communication from the government about paying the treatment bills of the workers.

She said Mahesh, a BBMP worker, visited the hospital and asked them to treat all the injured and send the bill. "But there's nothing in writing," she said.