Amidst shutdown civil surgeon hailed for coming to rescue of pregnant woman

The Daily Star  March 28, 2020

As Roksana Akter started having labour pains, she was immediately taken to a private hospital in Lakshmipur’s Chandraganj area.

Her family was elated, eagerly waiting to welcome a new member, on Friday morning.

But their joy and excitement faded upon reaching the hospital.

The hospital authorities could not find a doctor to operate on the woman, who had already had two previous caesarian sections, amid the ongoing countrywide shutdown to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Then the district’s Civil Surgeon Dr Abdul Gaffar came to the rescue.

The 25-year-old mother gave birth to a baby boy.

“The condition of the woman from an impoverished family was not good. They tried to manage doctors but could not…As I used to do gynecological operations earlier, though it is not my job now, I decided to help them out,” Dr Gaffar told The Daily Star today.

“Moving her to district town was risky as there was serious risk to the mother and her unborn baby on the way,” he said, adding both mother and the baby boy are doing well.

The prompt act of the civil surgeon was hailed by the many in the district.