In a shocking case of abandonment, a 60-year-old woman suffering from skin cancer was found near a garbage dump in Aarey Colony’s Unit No 32 on June 21. The woman, identified as Yashoda Gaikwad, was discovered in a frail and wounded condition, dressed in a pink nightdress and grey petticoat. Unable to walk or stand, she whispered to responding Mumbai Police officers, “My grandson left me here.”
Officers from Aarey Police Station rushed to the scene following a distress call. They found Yashoda suffering from untreated ulcerative lesions on her face, later diagnosed as basal cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer. Her condition painted a grim picture of pain, neglect, and betrayal.
Despite the police’s swift response, Yashoda faced delays in receiving medical care. Jogeshwari Trauma Care Hospital refused admission, citing a lack of facilities. Cooper Hospital initially turned her away after a brief checkup. It was only after nearly eight hours – and the personal intervention of Senior Inspector Ravindra Patil – that she was finally admitted to Cooper Hospital at around 5:30 p.m.
A police officer involved in the case expressed dismay: “If the police can go out of their way for someone they don’t even know, why can’t government hospitals show basic humanity?”
Dr Sudhir Medhekar, Dean of Cooper Hospital, confirmed Yashoda is suffering from basal cell carcinoma. “She has ulceroproliferative growths on her cheek and nose. Her vitals are currently stable,” he said.
Yashoda mentioned two addresses – one in Malad and another in Kandivali—that could be linked to her family. However, efforts to trace her relatives have so far been unsuccessful. Police have circulated her photograph across city police stations and are reviewing CCTV footage in an effort to identify the grandson she claimed abandoned her.
Senior Inspector Patil has called on citizens to help reunite Yashoda with her family. “If anyone recognises her or has any information, we urge them to come forward,” he said.
Yashoda Gaikwad’s ordeal is a stark reminder of how vulnerable the elderly can be – and how, sometimes, the deepest wounds are inflicted not by strangers, but by those closest to us.
