Ailing Shanthi's mother gets free treatment

Tiruchirapalli, Dec 14 (UNI) Pudukkottai District Collector S J Chiru today arranged free medical treatment to the poverty-ridden S Manimekalai, the ailing mother of Doha Asian Games Silver medallist S Shanthi.

Hailing from a poor family, the 48-year-old woman had fallen ill for the past two days and the family was not in a position to give treatment to her for want of money.

When UNI brought this matter to the notice of Mr Chiru, who was here to inaugurate a training programme for officials of various departments of Pudukkottai District at the Bharathidasan University, the District Collector had immediately asked his personal clerk K Rangaraj to make arrangements to depute a medical team to the non-descript village Kathakkurichi, about 15 kms from Pudukkottai, where the family was residing, to give proper treatment to Shanthi's mother.

In turn, Mr Rangaraj asked the Deputy Director of Health, Pudukkottai District, over phone to immediately send a medical team to the village before this evening and submit a report in this regard.

Mr Chiru said he would go to the village and meet the family members in the next two days.

It might be recalled that S Shanthi, born to M Soundararajan and S Manimekalai, had won Silver Medal in the 800 metre event on Saturday last. Tamil Nadu government had announced Rs 15 lakh award as gesture to her achievement.

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