Odisha Gynae To Be Honoured By President For Saving Lives During Fire Mishap

Bhubaneswar: A doctor, working Pandit Raghunath Murmu (PRM) Medical College and Hospital (MCH) in Odisha’s Baripada, has received an invitation from the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

President Droupadi Murmu will be conferring an award on Dr Ranjana Bhandare, a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology. for showing immense courage in the face of a fire mishap and saving the lives of a woman and her newborn at the hospital.

The incident

On August 18, 2023, a fire broke out on the third floor of the seven-storey PRM MCH in Mayurbhanj district. Dr Bhandare had completed five surgeries and was performing a sixth when the blaze erupted due to a short circuit in the afternoon, filling the OT with thick smoke. Though the baby was delivered safely, the mother had not yet been stitched. Without any hesitation, she swiftly moved the mother and the newborn to a safer location, independently moving a 70 kg stretcher. She then completed the procedure ensuring both the mother and the newborn survived.

Doctor’s reaction

Dr Bhandare expressed her joy at the prospect of being honoured by the President. “I was my sixth C-section when a sudden fire broke out. The moment I pulled the child out of the mother’s womb, black smoke engulfed the operation theatre. I could have never lived peacefully had I left the patient in the OT in an attempt to save myself,” the doctor told a local channel.

Bhandare said that she had been serving in Baripada for 6 years. “The award was announced in January 26. Since I belong to the President’s home district, it will be a honour to be awarded by her,” she added.