Tragic Incident at Deamoolie Tea Estate Sparks Protests Over Ambulance Shortage

Protests Erupt Following Death of Pregnant Woman

Doomdooma, July 8: A distressing situation unfolded on Saturday night at the Deamoolie Tea Estate, operated by James Warren Tea Limited, located near Doomdooma, under the jurisdiction of Baghjan Police Station, after a pregnant woman tragically passed away.

Reports indicate that Bharati Tanti, aged 30, the wife of Brij Kishore Tanti from the Palang Line of the estate, was in the late stages of her pregnancy. On Saturday, she delivered a stillborn baby at home. As her health deteriorated rapidly, her family sought an ambulance from the tea garden hospital. Unfortunately, the ambulance from Oil India Limited was out of service, and the one from the State government had already departed with another patient, leaving the family without assistance.

Faced with no alternatives, the family arranged for a private vehicle after a significant delay and transported Bharati to the government hospital in Doomdooma, but she sadly passed away en route.

The news of Bharati Tanti's death due to the lack of ambulance services quickly spread, igniting anger among the tea garden workers. By late evening, over a hundred individuals gathered outside the tea estate's factory to protest. Holding the bodies of the mother and her stillborn child, they accused the authorities of negligence that led to her untimely death.

Protesters asserted that the Deamoolie Tea Estate lacks its own ambulance. Although the ambulance from Oil India Limited was slightly damaged, management had not taken steps to repair it. Furthermore, the single government ambulance was inadequate for the needs of the tea garden workers. According to the demonstrators, this tragic incident was a direct result of the ambulance shortage.

Local residents noted that there have been previous instances of maternity-related deaths at the tea estate due to similar ambulance unavailability. A month prior, the Baghjan-Dighaltarrang sub-branch of ATTSA had submitted a memorandum to the estate management requesting ambulance services at the tea estate hospital, but no action was taken.

A police officer who visited the protest assured the crowd that the matter would be addressed through dialogue, leading to the dispersal of the protesters. However, locals continued to call for intervention from the labor department against the tea garden management, which they believe neglects the basic needs and welfare of its workers.

Subsequently, the tea garden unit of the ACMS submitted a memorandum to the garden manager, accusing the management of denying laborers their rightful entitlements. The ACMS unit also warned of potential agitation if their demands are not met promptly.