On Friday, a 23-year-old mentally disabled youth was rescued from a miserable condition and admitted to a mental health facility in Thane, thanks to the selfless gesture of a journalist and his social circle.
His condition is now said to be 50 per cent stable from the day he was admitted. "Saala main toh saab ban gaya", he was heard muttering, said a dietitian from the regional mental hospital in Thane after asked about his condition.
Prashant Narvekar
Prashant Narvekar, a photojournalist, who had worked with reputed newspapers in Mumbai, was the first to spot the man on Wednesday (July 29).
The man's condition moved Narvekar as the poor youth was pitifully scavenging from a garbage bin in Kalwa's Vitawa area. Narvekar's journalism skills came into play and he started to inquire about the youth's whereabouts. Next, he sought help from the Thane civic body's regional disaster management cell as well as the Kalwa police.
While Narvekar was busy trying to get some information from the youth, the cops arrived at the spot only to leave the next moment, saying that their hands were tied in this matter.
Two days later, on Friday, Narvekar himself took the youth to the police station and even informed Thane Citizens Forum president Kasber Augustine about the dejected situation. Teaming up for the humane cause, Narvekar-Augustine ferried the man to the Thane mental hospital, with the cooperation of Dr Safiya Akhtar.
Describing the efforts undertaken to transport the youth, Augustine said, "With the help of Thane civic body's disaster management cell, our team lifted the man and put him in the ambulance. Policeman Bramhanand Patil willingly helped us a lot till the last moment."
Others who joined the good cause to help the man were dietician Shital Nagre and mental hospital deputy superintendent Dr Sandeep Divekar.
Finally, the man was taken to the court, seeking legal nod for admitting him to the hospital. However, convincing the man to walk up to the court's third floor was an arduous task, recalled the rescue team.
The judge passed the order, allowing the man's admission to the mental hospital.
After completion of other legal formalities, the man was finally admitted to the hospital. Heaving a sigh of relief as the altruistic efforts bore fruits, Narvekar exclaimed, "Finally, our mission to give a new lease of life to this young man was successful."
Shital Nagare, dietitian of a regional mental hospital, Thane said, "The mentally disturbed man seems to be 50 per cent okay now. He is responding to the treatment nicely. On Monday he told that he want to meet his father and mother who are in Bihar. He informed that his father is a farmer and he came to Mumbai for work but did not get any job even after several tries. Also, he doesn't know how he went into the pile of garbage. We are also counselling him regularly and soon he will be 100 per cent okay. "
