Red Cross reunites missing woman with her family

BHUBANESWAR: Thanks to the Indian Red Cross Society, Odisha State Branch (IRCS-OSB), who had rescued a 33-year-old woman of Mayurbhanj district from the Regional Mental Hospital (RMH) of Thane in Maharashtra and united with her family members after four years. 

The woman identified as Sambhari Singh of Paikajujapura village under Baisinga police limits in the district had gone missing since July 2010. He was rescued by the IRCS-OSB members under its Family News Service (FNS).

Notably, FNS is a special programme of the Red Cross initiated soon after the Second World War to trace the missing persons due to war, disaster, conflict and migration.

According to victim’s brother Harishchandra Singh, her sister left her husband Kunu Singh’s home in January 2010 when she knew about her husband’s extra marital affair with another girl. Frustrated Sambhari came to her parent’s house, but she didn’t stay there for long time and left the house in July 2010. “From that day, we cannot get any information about my sister,” said Harishchandra.  

A few months ago, Yuva Red Cross counselor and secretary of Boudh Prabir Kumar Das got information about Sambhari from his friend a psychiatric social worker of RMH, Thane Surekha Wathore. 

Das and his team took initiatives on the basis of information provided by Wathore and contacted an Associated Professor Sudhir Chandra Jena, who was working in Mayurbhanj, to go to the village of the missing person. All of them met with the family members and informed about the plan to the police after informing the district administration.

Finally on May 14 this year, Das constituting a team of FNS and State Red Cross members along with victim’s family members proceeded to Thane hospital and rescued the lady getting help from the Maharashtra Red Cross Branch.

“She is mentally well, but physically not fit to walk due to unknown reasons. She has been provided a wheelchair from the hospital and very soon medical treatment and rehabilitation would be provided to the victim from the Government under FNS scheme,” said IRCS-OSB Honorary Secretary Dr M P Mohanty.

In March 14, 2012, IRCS-OSB had united Benudhar Pradhan of Bhagirathipur of Athagarh in Cuttack district with his family after rescuing him from Pakistan jail, Mohanty said.