Special care to Sundargarh Collector’s wife over other pregnant women: BJP wants action

ROURKELA: Amid controversy over Sundargarh Collector Nikhil Pawan Kalyan’s wife given special privilege and care at the Sundargarh District Headquarter Hospital (SDHH) while ordinary pregnant women were made to wait, the BJP on Saturday staged a protest.

Members of Sundargarh unit of Bharatiya Janata Yuba Morcha, led by president Amiya Patnaik, demanded action against the doctor concerned and handed over a memorandum to Chief District Medical & Public Health Officer (CDM&PHO) Dr SK Mishra. 

Earlier, on Friday, a video went viral showing the Collector’s wife visiting the Mother and Child Hospital (MCH) building of the SDHH in the official vehicle escorted by security personnel. Dipanjali Pati, a pregnant woman of Khamaripada, who was in queue, reacted sharply saying no one should be accorded privileged attention. “I am nine-month pregnant and had come to the MCH at about 9 am. I was first in the queue but was kept waiting till 12 pm as the doctor did not come.”

She said, when the Collector’s wife arrived, doctors and nurses swung into action and they gave her 30 minutes, while other pregnant women are not entertained beyond two minutes.  “Fearing COVID-19 infection, I came first with the hope of returning early but was made to wait.”

Social activist Suru Mishra said, while it is heartening that the Collector’s wife showed faith in the government health system, VIP culture and special privileges should be done away with. Sundargarh CDM&PHO Dr Mishra termed it a needless controversy.

He claimed that Dr Pushmitra Bhitiria was on ultra-sound duty but went to the operation theatre to attend an emergency C-section. Upon her return, she conducted tests of waiting pregnant women. Another doctor available then attended the Collector’s wife and there was no special privilege shown or question of ignoring others,” he said.