In an era when humanity is a rarity, it is the humane approach of not only an one-off doctor of the Cardiology Department of Sriram Chandra Bhanja Medical College Cuttack, but the entire team of the department, that has given a tribal girl a new lease of life.
There was little hope of survival for Mita Munda (26) with a life-threatening cardiac rheumatism complication. But, she was fortunate enough to be led to the Cardiology department of SCB. The department kept her alive despite all the odds for last seven years. And finally on June 24, the good Samaritans of the Cardiology department conducted a complex open heart surgery to rid Mita of the life threatening malaise. And the cardiologists and their team have not only saved the life of an orphan tribal destitute with no wherewithal, but also have given hope to Mita and her 5- year- old daughter.
Mita was brought unconscious to the SCB casualty by her fellow daily wage earners. She had fainted while working for a living in the CDA area of Cuttack. From the casualty she was gradually shifted to the inner wards and finally referred to the Cardiology Ward. The doctors there diagnosed her with life threatening cardiac rheumatism complication. Investigation by the doctors of the department revealed that Mita had been suffering from cardiac rheumatism for last 22 years.
Senior Cardiologist Dr Nihar Ranjan Parida, after hearing her plight has been helping Mita since 2014. Dr Parida with the help of his family friend Dr Mira Das and SunitaPati rehabilitated Mita. But every few months she used to come back to the hospital. But, other than temporary relief, she could not be cured of her disease, as it needed an open heart surgery. The condition of her heart was neither conducive for a surgery, nor her social situation.
On June 15 this year Mita was admitted to the ICU of Cardiology department. Every doctor, nurse and technician of the Cardiology department did their best to treat Mita. Dr Parida was supervising the treatment personally with the direct support of the Prof Dr SN Rautray. She was discharged from the hospital on June 21. The very next day she had another stroke and brought to the hospital once again.
Mita survived only for a humane approach of SCB Cardiology and CardioThoracic Vascular Surgery department. But even if with the best of intentions of Dr Parida and his kind colleagues, treatment of Mita still has many hurdles. Though Mita exists in flesh and bone, her identity is the main hurdle now. Mita neither has a voter ID nor an Aadhar card. She even does not have a birth certificate of her daughter. Despite a plethora of health insurance schemes like Ayushman Bharat Yojana and Biju Swasthya Yojana,Biju Basti ThaithanYojana she could not be benefited by the much-publicised heath schemes, as she did not have any identity.
