Odisha student self-immolation bid: Expert panel formed for victim’s treatment

Bhubaneswar: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar, has constituted a high-level expert committee to oversee and monitor the treatment of a female B.Ed student, who attempted self-immolation.

The student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, Balasore, was admitted to the institute following her self-immolation bid before the principal’s chamber on Saturday over harassment by the Head of Department (HOD).

As per the office order issued by the Medical Superintendent of AIIMS Bhubaneswar, the expert committee includes Prof. Jayant Mitra – Department of Anaesthesia, Prof. Manoj Panigrahi – Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Dr Sanjay Giri – Additional Professor, Burn and Plastic Surgery (Member Secretary), Dr Shantanu Subba – Associate Professor, Burn and Plastic Surgery, Dr Sandip Panda – Associate Professor, Nephrology, Dr Debishree Das – Assistant Professor, Anesthesia, Dr Mahalingam – Nursing Superintendent-I and Priyadarshini Sahoo – Assistant Nursing Superintendent (ANS).

“The committee can co-opt any other faculty member of any other clinical department as and when required, and shall do the best possible management for the patient, and the treatment shall be provided free of cost as decided by the government.

“Dr Sanjay Giri is being authorised to bring out medical updates once in the morning and once in the evening every day,” informs the official order.

“The victim’s condition remains critical. We are trying our best, and our team of experts from multiple departments is engaged in providing the best care to the patient. The victim’s lungs and kidneys have been affected, and she is currently on a ventilator in the ICU. She has suffered almost 90 to 95 per cent burn wounds. We can say anything on the recovery of the patient only after the next 24 or 48 hours,” said Ashutosh Biswas, the director of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is scheduled to visit the AIIMS later in the day to enquire about the health condition of the victim. He will also speak to the family members of the victim at the AIIMS.

Earlier, the Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling and the Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj on Sunday visited the AIIMS and enquired about the health condition of the victim girl.

The second-year integrated BEd student set herself ablaze after pouring petrol on herself in front of the college gate. The student with severe burn wounds was rushed to Balasore Medical College, but was later shifted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, for advanced treatment.

Prior to the self-immolation bid, Soumyashree had staged a sit-in protest near the college campus demanding action against the accused HoD of the BEd department for the alleged misbehaviour. She was very upset as no action was taken against the HOD by the college authorities despite her lodging a formal complaint against the accused Sahu.

Following the incident, the principal of the FM College, Dillip Kumar Ghosh and the accused HOD, Samir Kumar Sahu, have been placed under suspension by the Odisha Higher Education Department.

The Sahadevkhunta Police also swung into action and arrested HOD Samir Kumar Sahu.

Later, the Odisha Higher Education Department formed a high-level committee, including Kali Prasanna Mohapatra, Director, Higher Education Department, Mousumi Nayak, Joint Secretary, Higher Education Department and Prof (Dr) Jhumki Rath, B.J.B. (Auto.) College, Bhubaneswar, to inquire into the allegations of harassment against the accused HOD, Samir Kumar Sahu.

–IANS