Sonepur: Swift administrative action followed a report published in OrissaPOST Saturday highlighting the non-functional air-conditioning system at the dialysis unit of the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) in Subarnapur.
A new air-conditioner was procured Saturday and is expected to be made operational Sunday, bringing huge relief to patients who had been undergoing dialysis in sweltering conditions for nearly two years owing to the defunct AC and administrative apathy.
The intervention came after Chief District Medical and Public Health Officer (CDM&PHO) Dr Usharani Dash inspected the unit along with Additional District Medical Officer and hospital superintendent Dr Durgadatta Dash and hospital manager BK Sagarika.
The officials interacted with patients and assessed the difficulties caused by the prolonged absence of cooling facilities. The dialysis unit, located within the Maternal and Child Health Centre premises of the DHH, had two air-conditioners that had remained defunct for the past two years.
Despite repeated requirements, neither the hospital authorities nor the private agency responsible for managing the unit, Chandigarh-based Rahi Care Private Limited, had taken steps to repair or replace the machines.
Following the publication of the report, Dr Dash directed immediate corrective measures. The hospital superintendent subsequently spoke to the managing director of Rahi Care Private Limited and instructed that a new air-conditioner be installed within 24 hours. The dialysis unit caters to around 21 patients daily across three shifts.
With temperatures soaring, patients were forced to undergo dialysis — a process that typically lasts three to four hours in uncomfortable and potentially unsafe conditions. Guidelines recommend maintaining a temperature of around 25 degrees Celsius during dialysis, but the absence of functional air-conditioning, coupled with heat generated by multiple UPS systems, can significantly raise indoor temperatures.
Patients had complained of severe discomfort, underscoring concerns over compromised healthcare delivery due to administrative lapses.
