Bhubaneswar: Digapahandi Panchayat Samiti (block) chairperson Sunita Sethi, who was suffering from thalassemia, breathed her last while being treated at a local hospital in Ganjam district of Odisha today.

Sunita had been elected as the Samiti member from Gokarnapur panchayat under Digapahandi block last year. Later, she was elected unopposed as the chairperson of Digapahandi block, sources said.

Sunita was diagnosed with thalassemia some days ago and she was under medication, said a local.

“Sunita was rushed to a private hospital in Berhampur by her husband Krishnachandra Sethi after she complained of uneasiness yesterday. She returned home after an improvement in her health condition,” he added.

Sunita was admitted to Digapahandi Community Health Centre (CHC) after her condition deteriorated today afternoon. However, she died while being treated in the hospital, sources said.

Sunita is survived by her six-year-old daughter, sources added.