Chatra: A 33-year-old woman stepped in to assist in post-mortem examination at the Sadar hospital here on Tuesday, after the lone worker employed could not be traced following allegations that he took money to perform autopsy. Officials said she is the first woman to take up such work in the state.Mamta Devi, a resident of Bind mohalla, first helped perform the autopsy of Rajesh Sharma, who died in an accident. Within an hour, she also assisted in conducting the autopsy of another body brought from Lawalong.The development comes amid allegations that the lone worker, Sukhdev Ram, demanded Rs 5,000 from a bereaved family to perform post-mortem examination. Acting on the complaint, the hospital management barred him from work. On Tuesday, when Sharma’s body arrived at the hospital, Ram was untraceable.With no other trained staff available, civil surgeon Dr Satyendra Kumar Singh summoned Mamta, whom he remembered as a dedicated health worker who gave selfless service during the Covid-19 pandemic.Mamta recently applied to Singh seeking employment stating that she had over 15 years of experience working as a nurse in private hospitals. She reached the Sadar hospital within minutes and assisted doctors in the two autopsies.Deputy superintendent of Sadar hospital, Dr Pankaj Kumar, said Mamta performed her tasks efficiently under medical supervision. “She showed confidence and skill,” he said, adding that the process is on to engage her as an outsourced worker within the next couple of days.“Mamta showed exemplary courage and efficiency in a challenging situation. She is reportedly the first woman in the state to take up such a role, proving that women can excel even in the most demanding fields,” he added.Mamta said she was happy to get the opportunity. “If a homemaker can efficiently manage all household work, she can also handle other challenges effectively. I want everybody’s support to give my best,” she said.Chatra deputy commissioner Ravi Anand has constituted a four-member committee to probe the alleged cash transaction for conducting post-mortem examination.
