Cuttack: The rising number of destitute patients at Sriram Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) here has become a headache for the authorities concerned.
According to sources, the number of destitute patients has crossed 200 at SCBMCH, the biggest government-run health institute in state. At least 22 destitute patients have been staying at the orthopedic department of the hospital for last one and a half years. Similarly, around 15 destitute persons have been occupying beds at the spinal injury department of SCBMCH for last several months, sources said.
Besides, many homeless patients have been occupying beds at the gynaecology, paediatric, mental health and neurosurgery departments of the hospital for last several months, said a source in SCBMCH.
Some doctors at the premier healthcare institute have claimed that many people are abandoning their critically-ill relatives at SCBMCH. “Many perceive their critically-ill relatives as burden on them. So, they are abandoning such patients at various departments of SCBMCH. They are quite sure that the hospital authorities will provide food, shelter and care to them. This trend has been found in people from both upper and lower strata of society,” said a senior doctor on condition of anonymity.
He further revealed that many people are providing fake identities while admitting their critically-ill relatives to the hospital.
“As per the existing guidelines, a patient cannot occupy a bed in a hospital for more than 45 days. We are facing a lot of problems due to these destitute patients. We cannot discharge them from the hospital on humanitarian ground. We have raised the issue with the hospital superintendent,” said the doctor.
When contacted, SCBMCH superintendent Annada Prasad Patnaik admitted that destitute patients have become a cause of concern for the healthcare facility. “We have raised the issue with the district Collector and some voluntary organisations. The Collector will soon convene a meeting to deliberate on the issue and find a solution to it. We will abide by the decisions taken at the meeting,” Patnaik said.
Sources, meanwhile, claimed that destitute patients have also become a headache for Cuttack City Hospital and Sishu Bhawan, the premier childcare institute in Odisha.
