Nurse realises call of duty; breastfeeds infant seeing his mother shiver in fever

Riya Das's heart melted when she noticed a seven-day-old baby, whose mother had been admitted to Rampurhat Medical College Hospital two days ago, crying in hunger. Due to the sudden deterioration of the health of the child's mother, she was unable to breastfeed the baby.

Rampurhat: A young nurse, who is also the mother of a 10-month-old girl, has gone the extra mile to breastfeed a seven-day-old baby of another woman after seeing the hungry infant cry inconsolably in West Bengal's Rampurhat Medical College.

On Thursday, after noticing the the seven-day-old baby, whose mother had been admitted to Rampurhat Medical College Hospital two days ago, crying in hunger, Riya Das's heart melted. Due to the sudden deterioration of the health of the child's mother, she was unable to breastfeed the baby. Riya understood the urgency and did what a mother is expected to do.

Riya promptly took the child in her arms and breastfed the child after realising that he was hungry. Soon, the child calmed down. The young nurse has won the hearts of all for her compassionate act.

"I saw the baby's young mother, shivering with a high fever in the night. The baby was also hungry and screamed a lot. So I took the baby in my arms and fed her. I also treated the mother of the infant. I can very well understand the pain of a baby as I have one at my home," Riya said.

Riya, who resides in Siuri and travels about 50 kilometres every day to join duty, is also being hailed for her untiring work as a nurse at the hospital which remains busy all day due to its prominence as the main health care for the people of Birbhum district.

Jharna Das, sister-in-charge of Rampurhat Medical College Hospital, said Riya's gesture showed her motherly nature. "She set a precedent by taking care of the sick mother and breastfeeding her child," Jharna said.

Medical Superintendent cum Vice Principal of the Medical College & Hospital, Palash Das said, "Rhea has set an example for all nurses. Going the extra mile and breastfeeding a crying child when he needed most is certainly an act to emulate for others."

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