Cancer victim wants death

MALDA, 19 NOV: Mr Swarup Das, a daily wage earner, submitted an application today, to the chief minister, through the Malda district magistrate, pleading for mercy killing, as he can no longer endure the pain that the cancer in his left hand is causing him.Mr Das, resident of Kanchanter in English Bazaar village, is suffering from acute pain because his medical condition has deteriorated uncontrollaby in the last 10 days. Mr Das's left hand, which is cancer-infected, has not only started rotting, but the flesh from the hand is also falling off. He has almost lost his left hand. In his letter to the DM, Mr Sridhar Ghosh, Mr Das claimed: “I am suffering from cancer for the last three years. I did not get medical facilities or financial aid from the government hospital here. I want to die now, owing to unbearable pain in my hand and my body. I will be grateful to you if you please take the necessary steps to ensure that my family, in my absence, is well taken care of." Das is naturally worried about the survival of his parents, wife and five year-old daughter and seeks to make arrangements for them. On 21 October 2009, Das' father, Mr Biswanath Das appealed to the sabhapati of English Bazaar panchayat samiti seeking financial help for the treatment of his son. In his plea to the DM, Mr Das has attached some medical papers from from a hospital in Bangalore, where had been admitted for treatment. No treatment has worked and Das, now lies in his home, penniless and battling cancer.“All of our savings have been exhausted for my treatment. I used to work as a helper of a private vehicle. But at present, I have lost my capacity to work even as a day labourer," Das told the local reporters, sitting in his home.SNS