KATHMANDU, Sept 30: Whenever it rains, Manisha Magar becomes anxious and asks her mother to take her home.
“A flood will come. Let’s go home quickly,” she tells her mother.
Manisha was rescued from the banks of the Bhotekoshi River in Timure, Rasuwa, on August 26 after being trapped under mud for 72 hours. Although her health has improved, rain continues to remind her of the disaster.
Lets talk about suicide!!
Her mother, Gita Magar, said Manisha cries when it rains while they are on the road or in a vehicle. She holds the hand of whoever is with her and urges them to leave quickly.
“She refuses to go outside when it rains. The other day, she even refused to go to the hospital because it was raining,” Gita said.
At home, Manisha fears another flood and insists on keeping the doors and windows closed.
She was taken to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj for further treatment on Monday after the rain stopped. As she could not receive treatment there, she was taken to a hospital in Tarkeshwor on Tuesday.
The bandage on her hand has now been removed, but doctors have advised surgery after the flood left her hand deformed. She also falls ill in cold weather and feels comfortable only when kept warm.
Following her rescue, Manisha was treated at Teaching Hospital for breathing difficulties and other injuries. She was discharged after several days but still requires follow-up treatment.
The disaster has also left her family struggling financially. Neither Gita nor her husband currently has a job, while the family is staying in Kathmandu for Manisha’s treatment.
Gita said the security services company where she worked has provided food, water and room rent at times, but the support has not been enough to cover the family’s other expenses.
