Umarkote: On Tuesday, Dr. Sumantra Raul, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Umarkote Sub-Divisional Hospital, was transferred to the District Headquarters Hospital. In protest of this move, local ASHA workers and the general public staged a 6-hour dharna on Thursday from 12 noon, demanding the revocation of the transfer and reinstatement of Dr. Raul at the Umarkote Sub-Divisional Hospital.
It has been announced that on Friday, the protestors will submit a memorandum to the Health Minister and local MLA Nityananda Gond. They have warned that if their demands are not met, the agitation will be intensified in the coming days.
Umarkote Sub-Divisional Hospital serves over 4 lakh people from around five blocks of Nabarangpur district and Umarkote Municipality. On average, the center sees over 100 pregnant women daily, handles around 20 childbirths, and conducts approximately 50 ultrasound scans per day.
After receiving the transfer order, Dr. Raul reportedly joined the District Headquarters Hospital. Protestors are questioning the logic and justification behind transferring such a critical specialist from a hospital that serves a large number of maternity patients daily.
On Wednesday, in the absence of Dr. Raul, about six pregnant women had to be referred from the Sub-Divisional Hospital to the District Hospital. ASHA workers sitting in protest said that without a gynecologist, pregnant women will face serious challenges in accessing timely and proper healthcare.
The ASHA workers and local women participating in the dharna reiterated that this transfer should be reconsidered, and Dr. Raul should be reposted to Bhoparkot Health Centre for the sake of maternal healthcare in the region.