Dr Susmita Dash(MD, Gynic) : A touch of humanity while diagnosing the sick

Way back 1973 one night Late Gunanidhi Dash of Bargarh had seen a dream of an angel coming to his home. Seven months after occurance of that event Susmita took birth as a granddaughter in his family. Her father Sh.  Mr Krushna Prasad Dash was working as an Asst. Engineer with PHED(Public Health and Engineering Department), Odisha. His job was to execute the civil works of local authority. He was commanding respect in the society not because he was an engineer, but for the reason he was a government servant. 

Her entire family members are well educated. That is why since her childhood she was endowed with a clear conscience to study hard, apart from playing games. When her father was transferred to Bijepur it was her mamu(maternal uncle) who took the responsibility to look after her schooling because then Bijepur happened to be a backward area having no modern amenities and a proper school. At Burla she attended Government Girls High School and passed tenth. Likewise passed 12th with First Division from NAC College, Burla. Afterward she got united with her parents at Sambalpur that was where she intensely prepared for the Odisha’s medical entrance examination. It was in the year 1991 she qualified the exams and joined the MBBS course at VIMSAR, Burla. Then it was the lone medical college in the entire west and northern parts of Odisha. On qualifying with the degree for a year she did housemanship, afterwards she was allotted a seat to enrol herself for specialisation. And Susmita got the subject which was her first choice. She did PG in obstetrics and gynecology(O&G). In the year 2011 she completed her PG and joined Sai Krupa Nursing Home as a gynecologist. This nursing home was set up by her husband Dr Rajesh Tripathy(MD, Anesthesia).

They had observed all the nursing homes at Bargarh were purely operating with a profit motive. They thought why can’t they provide the best medical facilities at an affordable price? Wayback 2012 she was charging 100 INR for a patient and you would dumbstruck to know even after 8 years they are charging just 150 INR. Whereas the quakes or the unqualified practising physicians charges 200 INR for the consultancy. They dispense medicine without even writing a prescription.

Over the period Susmita and her husband were able to establish themselves as formidable doctors of not only Bargarh, but of entire western parts of Odisha. The  vulnerable persons from the neighbouring state Chhattisgarh as well started flucking everyday to get the most advanced medical services at a relatively affordable price. 

It was the year 2003 one couple of Khuntpali of Bijepur block reached her clinic for consultation. Due to infertility the lady was unable to conceive a baby. When this doctor diagnosed her that lady conceived and delivered a baby girl. The parents of the newly born baby were so overwhelmed that they named the baby as “Susmita” so as to acknowledge their gratitude. Because that girl carries the name of Susmita she became a mita or saheli of this doctor and her parents became mit-ma and mit-bapa of this doctor.

 

Once a kid of 9 years was brought to their nursing home from as far as Baunsuni of Boudh district for the treatment of bladder stone. She has undergone an operation in their nursing home conducted by a visiting urosurgeon who came from Sambalpur. But after the operation there was internal bleeding from the wound site. He hailed from a poor farming family. Dr Susmita and her husband kept that patient in their nursing home for a long one and half month. The male attendants of their nursing home donated three files of blood. So long they stayed the nurses of their nursing home took the responsibility to cook the food in their mess and to provide it free of cost to that kid and her parents thrice a day. On recovering her health when  they returned to their village, Dr Susmita and her husband chalked out the plan to carry the philanthropic work on a broader scale. 

First of all they have to keep their business entity afloat, because a lot many employees are dependent on it for their livelihood. So they decided to devote Sunday of each week for the greater cause of society. Further  they thought instead of providing free health care to people of Bargarh they should provide services to the rural mass who are otherwise unable to afford the basic health care. With the help of different organisations and individuals Dr Susmita reached far off places to provide health solutions to the rural poor.

When the Helping Hearts organisation of Barpali approached her, without giving even a second thought she agreed to the proposal. She was coming to Barpali to do health camps for the rural women folk. She was reaching here all at her own cost along with her staff and all the medicines and sanitary pads. The rural womenfolk of Odisha observe menstruation as a closely guarded ritual. Dr Susmita reached out to the villages to awaken the adolescent girls and females about the cause of puberty and how to take good care of hygiene during the time of menstruation. She was bringing sanitary pads and distributing them free of cost to those poor females who otherwise can't afford to buy them. In every camp somewhere around 50 to 100 women used to congregate. But because of the ongoing Covid19 pandemic ever since March 2020 she withheld conducting anymore health camps for the greater safety of people.

Apart from that on the 2nd Saturday of every month this doctor couple were traveling 100 kms one way to as far as Baunsuni of Boudh district of Odisha. They were conducting health camp from morning 10.00AM till evening 6.00PM. They were carrying needed medicines along with them and dispensing to the poor patients. Now they are eagerly waiting for the pandemic to over so as to resume their mission. 

During 2012 one girl by the name Arnapurna Rana of Chandipali village under post office Padampur reached her in search of a job. But when Dr Susmita got to know she is an orphan, even without giving a second thought she kept that girl at her home.  Dr Susmita raised Arnapurna as if her daughter. She made the admission of Arnapurna in Melchamunda College. Every weekday Arnapurna was riding the scooty of Dr Susmita and going to  Melchamunda Junior College which is at a distance of 45 kms one way. With utmost sincerity she studied and even passed 12th in the very first attempt itself. Now that girl turned 30 and has taken complete charge of managing the home, while Dr Susmita is busy managing the helm of her clinic and the social activities. 

Wayback 2013 she along with her husband and son was travelling to Vishakapatnam in their car. After driving for around 250 kms their chauffeur felt tired. That was when her husband Dr Rajesh Tripathy took the command of the steering of the car. While the car was passing through the mountainous forest range somewhere in between Bisamkatak and Rayagada at a sharp turn their car skidded and tumbled three times and fell in a gorge almost 50 meters down. As per the poor Indian habits none of them were wearing the seat belts. A bus while crossing that place at that very moment halted. When most of the passengers were clicking the photographs with their cell phones, four brave youngmen went down to do the rescue operations. They broke open the car doors and as if angels  evacuated all safely one after another. But it was only her son who was brutally injured. He was unable to stand, because the thigh bone of his right leg (femur) was broken. After reaching the road those angels halted one vehicle. It was the Sub-Collector of a District who lifted and ferried them to the famous Christian Hospital (Missionary) located at Bisam Katak. After  getting the first aid treatment they went to Vishakapatnam to do the femur bone surgery of her son. This incident brought an impeccable change in the life of Susmita. She thought there was a divine intervention, because of which all of them survived. There might be a great meaning to survive and she should lead a meaningful life. She was determined to dedicate her remaining life for the welfare of people so long she survives. 

Bargarh district is not only the rice bowl of Odisha, but also a hotbed for the cancerous diseases. Because of the extensive use of pesticide and fertiliser in cultivation of paddy and farming of all other allied vegetables people are afflicted with numerous types of cancers for example lung, pancreatic, bowel(colon and rectal), prostate and bladder cancers.

Dr Susmita Dash was one among the formidable activists to set up a cancer hospital at Bargarh itself instead at Bhubaneswar. The Govt. of Odisha has agreed to the appeal of the people. A Category-II type of cancer hospital most likely to be set up at Khedapali Govt. Hospital itself, instead of delaying the project until the completion of the infrastructure.

 

18th May is the Birthday of her son. One year on 18th May a lady delivered a baby girl. At the time of birth the baby didn't cry, but this doctor made the safe delivery of the baby. Later that day  when the father of the new born baby got to know it is the auspicious birth day of Dr Susmita’s son, he decided to name the baby as Sidhi coinciding with her son’s name Sidharth. 

Once the sister-in-law of Dr.Susmita told her about a  fatherless boy by the name Shiv Shankar Prusti. That boy of Balangir was raised in an orphanage. He was a sincere and brilliant student who passed 10th all together with the first division. As per the rule of that orphanage the boy had to vacate the shelter on passing 10th. That kid wanted to study further. When Dr Susmita got to know that the boy wanted to pursue the career of ITI she asked him to join polytechnic instead. The boy said he didn't even know what it was. She said if he qualifies polytechnic then while doing graduation he will get two years relaxation on the basis of lateral entry. And this doctor has made his admission altogether in polytechnic at Balangir Government Polytechnic College. 

Once the inmates of Samleipadar oldage home expressed their wish to visit the Rath Yatra of Bargarh. Dr Susmita sent one vehicle to bring those old people to Bargarh. They came and touched the wooden rath and prostrated before the trinity. Likewise the inmates of San-Sahajbahal expressed their wish to visit the famous Dhanu Yatra of Bargarh. This doctor sent the vehicle and all the inmates came. They had their lunch in her nursing home and then went to witness the festival. By age they might be  old,  but they enjoyed  the Meena Bazaar  of Dhanu Jatra  with full fun and frolic as if children. Their nurshing home and this doctor couple are so famous that even Kansa Maharaj once visited their nursing home while doing sahar parikrama. 

She laughs while recounting an incident of her life. When she was a student of 12th she went to see Dhanu Jatra at Bargarh. She was standing along with her relatives near mini-stadium, that was when  Kansa Maharaj reached there on nagar parikrama. The king of Mathura was riding an elephant along with the battalion of armed forces. Susmita was astounded looking at the grandeur of the giant beast and the king sitting on top of it. But at the nick of the hour she was dumbstruck when Maharaja Kansa throwed a rose flower on Susmita. The flower dropped on the shoulder of that pretty looking Susmita. She was overwhelmed. All the people gathered over there complimented her saying how lucky she is, because lacs of people throng to Bargarh to see the Maharaja Kansa who rules Bargarh for long 10 days but here the King himself greeted her with a rose. 

Every year this doctor couple celebrates Diwali with the children of differently abled School of Bargarh. Along with them they carry sweets and firecrackers. That night they host the dinner for the children. 

During the second quarter of 2020 Dr Susmita and her husband got to know about a tribe of Hindi speaking nomads of Uttar Pradesh who were held up due to Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. Unlike you and me they don’t have a shelter anywhere  on earth. They make a living by doing iron smelting work. Most of you might have spotted such kind of people in the open spaces of the street where you live. Near Tora railway tracks there were around 70 people and another 30 persons were living at Bhatli Chak by digging tents. Lot of women folk and their children were also there in those groups. On a weekly basis for a long three months Dr Susmita undertook the initiative to supply rice, dal, poha, potatoes, oil, salt and trays of eggs. All that she could not provide was fresh vegetables. Apart from that she was doing the health checkup of the children and pregnant ladies of that community. Since those mothers were malnourished there was poor lactation so this doctor duo were dispensing iron, calcium, vitamin tablets; protein powder and even skimmed milk powder for babies. She took care of those tribes until their vehicle was allowed to move out of Bargarh. 

Once her husband Dr Tripathy went to attend a function  of the high school from where he passed 10th at Baunsuni. Over there he met Padmashree Haldhar Nag who was invited as the Chief Guest of that meeting. Over the conversation Shri Nag invited them to his place. When Susmita and her family were returning from Narsingnath, they made it a point to meet the pride of Koshal region Haldhar Nag at his village Ghens. On reaching Kabi Kutir  the poet received the doctor duo with utmost respect. On looking at the sorry state of infrastructure  at the poet’s cottage Dr Susmita felt pitty. She thought to refurbish the house of lok kabi Haldhar Nag whose poetic works have won the hearts of lacs of people across the length and breadth of north-west Odisha and Chhattisgarh. She thought to convert the Cottage of Lok Kabi Haldhar Nag into a museum instead.  They found that poet Haldhar has stacked his books in cardboard boxes and gunny bags and kept them underneath his bed, as he didn't have a cupboard to store them safely. 

Finally on 25th  September 2020 Kabi Kutir museum has been inaugurated by Sushant Singh (Labour and Rural Development Minister, Government of Odisha) as Chief Guest, in the very presence of MLA of Bargarh Debesh Acharya and lot many dignitaries and inteligencia of Koshal region, Odisha.  

There are several instances of philenthropic works which this doctor duo has undertaken in their individual capacity. For instance when they got to know a lot many kids of Rang-ghar pada UP School are falling sick with waterborne diseases. They donated one water purifier along with a water cooler.

Dr Susmita thought to contribute her share to Mo School Abhijan project of Govt. of Odisha. Accordingly she contributed 50,000 INR to Rangghar Pada Upper Primary School of Bargarh. It is the same school which she had attended during her childhood. Accordingly, the Govt. of Odisha also contributed 50,000 matching the donation made by this doctor for the infrastructure development of this school. She was called to attend a meeting organised by the District Education Officer at Town Hall, Bargarh. The meeting was presided over by the District Collector. 

[Writer of this blog E Kiran Mohan could be seen while interviewing Dr Susmita Dash(MD)]

kiranbima@gmail.com

Mobile # +918249314972

E. Kiran Mohan(the writer)
C/o. Dr.E.R.Rao (M.D)
Main Road, Near SBI,
At/PO : Barpali-768029
Dist. Bargarh, Odisha, India