Protest in Bhadrak over stillbirth blamed on wrong report

Bhadrak: Hundreds of irate locals blocked the Bhadrak bypass Tuesday morning protesting against the alleged misdiagnosed ultrasound report prepared by a private clinic in the area that caused the death of a newborn Monday night, and left the mother struggling for life.

The protest began around 7:30am. The demonstrators burnt tyres on the busy Bhadrak-Chandbali road, bringing traffic to a grounding halt for over fi ve hours. Police, led by Bhadrak Town Station Officer Prabhanshu Mishra, were deployed to control the situation.

According to police, the incident stemmed from an alleged erroneous report prepared by a private clinic near the bypass. On Sunday, Prafulla Giri of Dolasahi, under Tihidi police limits, had taken his pregnant wife, Basanti Rout, to the clinic for the test. However, the clinic gave them an incorrect report, police added.

Basanti was admitted to the district headquarters hospital (DHH) Monday after experiencing abdominal pain. Doctors performed surgery that evening and took out a stillborn baby. Doctors allegedly informed the family that the foetus was likely to have died two to three days earlier and had begun decomposing.

Meanwhile, Basanti’s condition became critical. Late Monday night, the grieving family staged a sit-in with the child’s body outside the clinic, which was found locked and unmanned. The failure of the clinic management to come out with a response only worsened the situation, and the protest escalated Tuesday morning, police said.

Meanwhile, the blockade caused major traffic disruption. Senior officials, including Additional Superintendent of Police Sambit Majhi, Chief District Medical Officer Sudhanshu Shekhar Bal, and Deputy Collector Kartik Nath Mandal, arrived at the scene to defuse the situation.

Following their assurance of investigation and action, the demonstration was called off. Majhi said a task force would be formed to crack down on unauthorised nursing homes and ultrasound centres operating in Bhadrak.

PNN

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