Kandhamal, (Fast News Odisha): The patient care in the main hospital of Kandhamal district, which is inhabited by tribals, is now in a complete disaster. The situation is such that critical patients are being referred to Brahampur General Hospital as they are not getting proper care. The construction of the medical college has solved the problem of shortage of doctors, but still serious patients are being referred to Brahampur. There are only 41 doctors instead of 134 doctors required in the hospital. 93 hospitals are empty. 120 doctors have been recruited for the medical college. But in the district head hospital they are seeing outpatients. In one sense, there is no shortage of doctors. However, these doctors are living on leave by mutual agreement. As a result, the situation has become the same as before and after. Doctors are shown to be present only on paper. But, in reality, they are living on a long vacation. NY District Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Satya Padhi, said that he did not have any such allegations and informed that he would investigate and take appropriate action. Similarly, due to lack of coordination between the district head hospital and medical college authorities, there are many complaints that doctors are delaying seeing patients. Apart from this, the health service has become a kind of disaster due to the lack of tuberculosis, radiology, insurance, women and obstetrics, paediatrics, dermatology and surgery specialists in the district head hospital. Ultrasound, MRI endoscopy and X-ray machines are not installed in the district head hospital. Although there is a Cityscan machine, it is lying unused due to lack of specialist doctors. Currently, as the lift of the women’s and obstetrics department of the district head hospital is not working, there are many problems in bringing patients and pregnant women to the third and fourth floors. Medical center’s drinking water supply and electricity supply remain irregular, disrupting patient care. Patients are drinking contaminated water as the recently installed drinking water purification machine in the district head hospital has stopped working. Till date, the burn care unit cannot be set up in the district head hospital, so it is not possible to treat the severely burned patients. As summer approaches, the surgery ward is also falling into disrepair. None of the ACs in this ward are working. Despite the fact that there are many problems in the district head hospital, the authorities are not paying attention to them, so the patients are suffering.
Report by Sanjay Kumar Manigarahi from Kandhamal District, Fast News Odisha l