Belgaum: In a remarkable act of humanitarian service, office-bearers of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti extended support to a youth who suffered severe eye injuries in a firecracker accident during celebrations of Team India’s cricket victory last month.
Shiva Narayan Lohar, a resident of Shahapur Navi Galli, was seriously injured while bursting firecrackers during the victory celebrations. The accident caused severe damage to both his eyes, following which he had been undergoing treatment and multiple surgeries at KLE Hospital in Belgaum for the past one month.
Doctors informed that one of his eyes has completely lost vision, while the second eye requires further advanced treatment. The entire treatment cost at KLE Hospital has been covered under the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) scheme, bringing major relief to the victim’s family.
On May 13, Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti Medical Coordinator Principal Anand Aptekar personally visited KLE Hospital, completed all required government formalities and coordinated with officials to ensure the patient’s discharge. He also assured continued follow-up support for the victim’s future treatment.
Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti Shahapur division members Anil Ambrole and Pawan Dhamanekar also played an important role in helping the patient receive financial assistance and medical support.
Notably, approval from the Maharashtra Chief Minister is required for special assistance under the CMRF scheme. For this purpose, Principal Anand Aptekar and Anil Ambrole had travelled to Mumbai and personally followed up to obtain the required approval signatures.
During the Mumbai visit, it was also noticed that several applications from border-area patients were pending due to technical issues. After continuous follow-up with concerned authorities, all pending applications were approved, and the financial aid amounts have now been credited to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts this week.
