After attending to patients, some of whom have come from Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, till the evening on Thursday, Dr. Purna Chandra Mohapatra, a retired professor from the SCB Medical College, Cuttack, finally sat for lunch. It is not uncommon for the mustachioed doctor to have lunch this late as his breaks depend on the length of the queue outside his chamber.
Dr. Mohapatra, 68, a renowned gynaecologist, is the BJP’s candidate for the Cuttack-Barabati Assembly seat. For decades, he has had to make do with only three to four hours of sleep as patientcare kept him busy. It still does. People recall occasions when numerous women would line up for consultation at odd hours, even as late as 1 a.m., outside his nursing home in Sector 8 of Cuttack’s CDA Colony. The doctor doesn’t charge any fee for outpatient services.
After the BJP fielded Dr. Mohapatra in the Assembly election on Thursday, political observers in the State began wondering if his transition into politics would be at the cost of patientcare. Replacing a busy gynaecologist, whose appointment diary is always full, will be difficult. Patients book slots for surgery two months in advance and some wait overnight to secure a consultation for the next day.
When The Hindu asked Dr. Mohapatra why he was leaving a flourishing practice for politics, he said, “I have dedicated my life to patientcare. Now, it is time to serve society in a broader capacity as a policymaker. With decades of experience under my belt, I want to bring about systemic improvements, especially in healthcare.”
Though he has friends and admirers across political parties, Dr. Mohapatra has chosen the BJP in order to align with a national party.
The saffron party too is banking on his popularity. Dr. Mohapatra had been a president of the Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society of India, one of Asia’s largest professional bodies. He has spearheaded multiple innovation initiatives for women’s health in India, including gynaecological endoscopy. His patient register says he has treated 1.40 lakh patients since 2019 with over 41,500 women in Cuttack district.
Asked if his decades-long medical practice would translate into votes, Dr. Mohapatra said, “I have no idea how to get votes. But I am sure the goodwill I have earned during my career would certainly help.”
Recently, when he toured different parts of Cuttack district as part of the BJP’s 100-day membership drive, Dr. Mohapatra was mobbed by women who sought medical advice. “At Baghei village near Banki in Cuttack district, villagers lined up 20 women and youths. They told me they were alive because of me. What could be a bigger reward than this?” he said.
