Shankar Budha, 37, of Patmaragaun, Patarasi Rural Municipality-7, has been ill for five years. His lower body does not function due to problems in his spine. He has been suffering from fatigue for a long time and has not recovered with normal treatment. Instead, he is getting more and more fatigued due to financial constraints.  

Shankar's family is now in trouble after the main breadwinner has passed away. 

Shankar, who used to raise sheep, also had mules, which were considered means of transportation in remote areas.  When necessary, he would sell those sheep and mules to raise money.  But now he has nothing. There is only a financial burden and worries about how to support his family. 

'I cannot move now.' The family, which depends on agriculture, is in trouble,' he said, 'I am stranded.' It feels like I'm waiting for death. Shankar is also a skilled mason. He has experience working as a mason as far as Kathmandu. But now, with health problems, he is stressed about how to support his family of six.

There is no other earning power in the house except his wife. His wife's earnings are not enough to support the family.

Shankar cannot even go to the toilet himself. He does not even have a quality wheelchair to get there. 185 families in the village had donated a minimum of 20 to 500 rupees to help with his treatment. But Shankar says that this is not enough.

The rural municipality has given him a 'A' category card for disability. For which he is receiving 4,000 rupees per month. He said, 'Earlier, everything was fine.' Now everything is lost.' He has reached Nepalgunj three times for treatment and has also reached Kathmandu twice for treatment. 'I reached Lucknow once. But there was no improvement. So far, Rs. 19 lakh has been spent. Now what if other problems arise?' he says.

The doctors at the hospital have not been able to confirm that this is the reason for the inability to move the part below the waist. Shankar says that it has been five years since they assured him that he would recover. His wife Vinkali Budha says that the atmosphere of enthusiasm in the family has disappeared since Shankar became ill.

Similarly, 53-year-old Deepraj Rawat of Patarasi-7 Patmara has been suffering from fatigue for the past 2 and a half years. He also has a problem with his spine. Both legs cannot move. He does not know when he will urinate. Family support is also needed to get inside and outside the house. He also rushed to well-equipped hospitals in Shimla, India, Kathmandu and Nepalgunj with his problem. ‘The hospital says it is a normal problem, but my basic body is not functioning,’ says Deepraj, ‘Since I became ill, the family’s condition has been critical.’ He says that the more medicine he takes, the weaker he feels.

‘The body is swelling and breathing problems are common. Earlier, his legs were moving normally. But after the surgery, he said that he was addicted to drugs, and the problem of not being able to move his legs has become apparent,’ he said. He has a family of six. He does not even have a wheelchair, let alone crutches to sit up.

The municipality has issued him a ‘B’ category disability identity card. He says that the problem has not been solved even after selling the property for treatment and taking loans when that was not enough. The National Human Rights Commission, Karnali Province Branch, Jumla has shown interest in the problems faced by Deepraj and Shankar. Office Chief Kalpana Nepal Acharya has returned after visiting their home and understanding the situation.