Hlio Diamantino, 33 years old, was a young man who cherished life and, despite the difficulties, he always could count on the love of his family. This was until the day he was stricken by an illness while completing compulsory military service between 2001 and 2002. At present, he is a young man whose future is passing him by. He has lost most of his motor skills and represents a concern for his mother who can no longer afford the costs of an illness which was caused by the State.
In 2011, @Verdade published a story about Hlio, but the State remained deaf and mute concerning the case. At the age of 18, Hlio Diamantino enrolled in the armed forces in order fulfill his patriotic duty and in no way did he think that this decision would spoil his future. "I was in 11th grade and I dreamed of continuing with my studies, but I could not ignore my duties as a citizen of this country."
A year later, in 2000, Hlio was summoned by the Centre for Recruitment, Mobilization and Propaganda in Maputo for a medical inspection. He passed the medical exam and was added to a group of fellow new recruits on March 1, 2001. Howvever, during bootcamp at the Special Forces Training Centre in Nampula he fell ill.
Just when he was getting used to military life, he was forced to interrupt his training to take care of his health. "At that time, getting weaker by the day, I left the military unit to be treated in Maputo because I had difficulties balancing myself when walking, I was unable to run and my movements were shaky. I presented myself at the Southern Region Command Centre, where I was held from September 21, 2002 until December 3 of the same year. I was released upon presentation of evidence of treatment."
Instead of being referred to the Special Forces Battalion of Beira, the young man was made a clerk in the southern region's military confinement house. However, "the reason for my appointment in that unit was overlooked." On May 13, 2003, he went into reserve, 74 days after his bootcamp colleagues returned to civilian status, and in violation of the compulsory military service law.
Hlio Diamantino was demobilized and he was not healthy. On October 14, 2005 he was admitted to the Central Hospital of Maputo (HCM). After 18 days he was discharged.
However, a relapse in October 2006 led him, once again, to the same hospital, where he was diagnosed with Spinocerebellar Ataxia. Spinocerebellar Ataxia is a degenerative disease located in the spinal cord, brainstem and cerebellum, causing gradual degeneration. This impedes electrical impulses from reaching the cerebral cortex from the peripheral nervous system and eventually results in the complete inhibition of the body's limbs.
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Mozambique: An Irresponsible State