Bengal: Doctors break cease-work to help deliver child

KOLKATA: When 26-year-old Puja Bharati’s labour pain started at her Chitpur home on Friday morning, the whole family was worried because of the ongoing cease-work at government hospitals across the state. But with her pain increasing, the family had no other option but to head to the nearest medical establishment — RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Initially, the protesting junior doctors told them to go to another hospital.But Bharati’s cries of pain changed their heart.
“I was writhing in pain and thought I would collapse and die. But then the doctors came to my help. I felt reassured,” the new mother said.

Some interns helped get her into the labour room in the gynaecology emergency where two post-graduate trainees — doctors Nirupama De and Keya Chatterjee — attended to her.
“We were trying to explain to the patient’s family that we were on cease-work and she should go to another hospital. But when we realised that she was going through the last stage of labour pain, we thought it would be inhuman on our part to turn her away,” said Dr Bhaskar Das, an intern.
Bharati’s family had brought her to the hospital around 9.30am. By 10am, she was taken into the labour room and Das helped his seniors insert the IV channel for saline and the catheter. At 10.20am, Bharati delivered a healthy boy with the help of the three doctors who were all part of the ceasework.
“We are on cease-work. But at the same time, we are human beings and don’t think we should refuse emergency patients. For the pregnant woman, it could have been too risky to travel to another hospital. We are happy that we could help her deliver a healthy child,” said De.
After the necessary cleaning, stitching and medication, Bharati and the baby were sent to the ward. An hour later, the three junior doctors went back to check on the mother and child.
“It is a happy ending. Despite the initial refusal, the doctors changed their mind. I am thankful to them for attending to me and helping me deliver a healthy child without any complications. We knew about the cease-work and understood that it would be very difficult to get medical attention. But we couldn’t afford to go to a private hospital. Going to RG Kar was our only choice,” said Bharti.
Soon after the delivery, the agitating junior doctors at the hospital also helped a boy — who had been in a traffic accident — get surgical intervention.
“We are in no way tur-ning away patients who are in need of immediate medical attention. But we will continue our cease-work and will not see any OPD patients,” said one of the agitating junior doctors.