Bengal's workaholic doctor dies minutes after bringing new born back to life

Kolkata: A doctor at Patanda Primary Health Centre (PHC) died minutes after resuscitating a newborn in East Midnapore on Tuesday.

The 48-year-old general duty medical officer, Dr Bibhas Khutia had just delivered a baby girl when he noticed that there was no movement in the newborn after the delivery procedure. He immediately put the baby in the warmer and was successful in reviving her. However, minutes after he brought her back to life, the doctor collapsed.

The nurse who was assisting Khutia took the warmer with the baby from his hands as he collapsed to the ground. He was put on a stretcher and subsequently rushed to the nearby Panskura super-specialty hospital.

Upon arrival, the doctors there declared him dead. They said that Khutia suffered a massive heart attack.

Khutia’s co-workers deemed him a workaholic. Khutia had himself developed the labour room to provide relief to expecting women in that rural part of Bengal. His co-workers attested to the fact that whenever there was a manpower crisis, Khutia would readily stand ground in the hospital for 24 hours.

A doctor at the hospital said that Khutia was advised to undergo a coronary angiography a couple of months ago, but he ignored his own health issues and took all the workload of the hospital on his own shoulders.

The pregnant woman was admitted to the hospital on Monday night when she complained of labour pains at home. She went into labour at around 10:30 am on Tuesday; Khutia then conducted the delivery procedure and she gave birth to a baby girl at around 11 am.

A spokesperson of West Bengal Doctor’s Forum said, “We salute his dedication while mourning his untimely death.”

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