West Bengal: Ex-IAS topper, SDO treats patients on off days

She continues to attend to poor patients from her area, especially on her off days. She took charge as the SDO of Raghunathpur, some 41 kms from here, on June 2018.

Listen to Story

Advertisement

Before clearing UPSC and joining IAS as part of West Bengal cadre, she had completed her MBBS from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Her administrative responsibilities as the SDO of Raghunathpur, Purulia has done little to dampen her enthusiasm and dedication as a doctor.

However, Akanksha Bhaskar continues to attend to poor patients from her area, especially on her off days. She took charge as the SDO of Raghunathpur, some 41 kms from here, on June 2018.

advertisement

Incidentally, she secured All India rank of 76 in 2014 UPSC exams. She aspired to be in the administrative services after completing her posting as a rural doctor, after passing out in 2014.

The pathetic living conditions she witnessed spurred her onto the UPSC stage.

She seems to have imbibed the spirit to serve from her father, Dr Bhanu Shankar Pandey of Varanasi.

Born to a family of doctors, her mother is the Director of Vidya Prasad hospital and younger sister at KGMU.

During her recent official visit to inspect the conditions of the Santuri block hospital, Maruadih, she took stock of the infrastructure and finding the designated doctor absent for some reason, attended to the waiting patients.

She listened to complaints and checked up over 40 patients. She prescribed necessary medicines too.

When asked about it she said, "Usually work pressure is relatively less on Saturdays, that's why I had visited the Block hospital. Here I attended to some patients too. Actually, since I had been posted to Purulia I felt that it is my duty to attend to suffering people. That is when I decided to attend to patients on my off days."

This is not the first time she carried out her doctor's duty, nor will it be the last. She said "most of the patients come to the hospitals with skin ailments. Most of these skin ailments are the result of bathing in contaminated water of ponds. Children are the most affected section."