Angul: In spite of the awareness drive by the Odisha government against availing of treatment from quacks, the system continues to flourish. And it puts the lives of more and more people in danger. The case of the five-year-old daughter of Niranjan Behera of Balugaon in Talcher town amply demonstrates that.
The girl was brought to the Angul district headquarters hospital (DHH) Wednesday evening and admitted under ADMO (Medical) Dr Laxmi Narayan Bisoi. He later informed that she was running a high temperature and had a fresh wound on her waist. Family members of the girl informed the ADMO that a broken piece of needle had pierced her waist and was embedded there. The doctor prescribed some medicines to bring the temperature down and asked Niranjan to bring his daughter back after the wound had healed.
Later on Dr Bisoi said that the girl had been treated in various private hospitals in Angul and Cuttack but to no avail. “We will try to get the needle out when she is back. If we can’t we will send her to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. We will recommend them to carry out the surgery and get the needle out,” said Dr Bisoi.
According to family members of the girl, she had gone to her uncle’s house at Balaramprasad approximately 45 days back. During her stay there, she complained of fever. She was taken to a local pharmacist who gave her an injection. However, while giving her the injection a portion of the needle broke and got embedded in the girl’s waist. Such an accident wouldn’t have occurred if the injection was given by a proper doctor.
The girl was then taken to two private hospitals – one in Cuttack and the other in Angul. She went under the knife twice to get the broken piece of needle out. But the attempts were unsuccessful. However, on both occasions, the girl’s family had to shell out substantial amounts. Running out of finances, the family finally brought the girl to the Angul DHH.
It just goes to show, how private hospitals in the state are functioning. More importantly the small kid has been undergoing agonising pain for the last 45 days. Who is to blame for that?
One can just hope she recovers quickly enough.
PNN
