Sambalpur: Resentment brewed among residents here as a huge number of patients of the region routinely face a lot of problems due to lack of infrastructure in the district headquarters hospital.
The hospital witnesses footfall of over a thousand patients daily from Bargarh, Sonepur, Boudh, Bolangir, Kalahanadi, Nuapada, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Sundargarh and Angul districts, but there are only 149 beds in the hospital.
The patients have no option but to get treatment on the floor and on open verandah. In most of the cases, drips are being administered to the patients while their relatives have to hold the drips for hours in the absence of stands.
Even the doctors and nurses face problems in treating the patients on the floor in the absence of beds.
Madan Giripunje, who was attending to his wife who is affected by heart and kidney ailments, said the number of patients admitted to the hospital increased with the advent of monsoon. However, the number of beds and infrastructure in the hospital has not been improved in order to cater to the needs of patients. Even drinking water is not available for patients at the hospital, it is alleged. As there are no better hospitals in the locality, Madan said he is forced to put his wife through the ordeal of sleeping on the hospital floor for the last three days.
Rashmita Pradhan, a sickle cell anaemia patient, said she is being treated on the floor for the last six days. She said she is in constant panic of being bitten by snakes or other poisonous reptiles.
Moti Parua, a relative of a typhoid patient being treated at the hospital, said they are facing a tough time as the patient has not been allotted a bed even though she is in a critical condition. It is impossible for them to use the toilet as it is highly unhygienic. They have to use the toilets outside by paying Rs 10 even though they are from a very poor economic background. They are getting only cheap medicines under Niramaya Yojana while they have to buy costly medicines and syringes from outside, she said.
When contacted, chief district medical officer Dr Kodanda Rao said the number of beds in the hospital is much higher than what is permitted. They have apprised the higher authorities of the problems and requested them to develop the infrastructure and sanction more beds. However, there is no action in this regard.
Sambalpur MLA Raseswari Panigrahi said the number of beds has not increased proportionately to the rise in number of patients. The number of patients has gone up suddenly with the onset of rainy season. She, however, refuted the allegations of medical negligence at the hospital and assured that she would make a representation to the state government to sort out the issue. PNN
