Puri: Despite government spending huge amount of money on healthcare by introducing various schemes, Puri residents have to face hurdles to get even primary health services at the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH).
Locals allege the hospital authorities send patients, who visit the hospital in the night for emergency treatment, to private clinics in the city, citing various reasons. The role of middlemen in weaning patients from DHH to private medical practitioners is also not ruled out.
According to reports, there are 15 registered nursing homes in the pilgrim city. Besides, more than 50 unregistered nursing homes have come up at different locations around Puri. They lack experienced doctors and basic healthcare facilities.
Calling for official action, BJD leader (youth wing) Saswat Mohapatra said: “The patients’ families have to suffer the agony in case of loss of life due to improper health services. Despite several protests and complaints, the district administration is yet to take necessary action in this regard.”
Human rights activist Prasanna Kumar Das has filed a petition with the Orissa Human Rights Commission (OHRC) urging action against doctors who derelict their duty and the owners of private nursing homes.
A case in point was how a pregnant woman, Sangeeta Padhi of Kalakisahi, was sent to a nursing home on grounds of unavailability of an anaesthetist at DHH. On the suggestion of a middleman, the family admitted her to a private nursing home where she gave birth to a baby boy October 10. Later, the baby died due to alleged medical negligence.
Though the family had urged the chief district medical officer (CDMO) to take action against the culprits, the administration has failed to take action against the nursing home, alleged the activist.
When asked, CDMO Bijan Kumar Mohanty said, “Stringent action will be taken against the illegal nursing homes in the city. The probe report of the child death has been submitted to the district collector and further actions will be taken soon.”
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