Cuttack: Despite spending crores of rupees on the health sector, the state government has reportedly failed to improve the infrastructure at Sriram Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) here.
According to sources, some important health equipment at SCBMCH have developed glitches recently. As a result, many patients have been denied timely healthcare facilities at the premium government-run health institute.
On the other hand, many departments at SCBMCH require additional medical equipment to provide better healthcare to patients, sources said.
It is learnt that one of the two CT scan machines at the hospital has become defunct after developing some technical glitches four days ago. Consequently, many patients have been facing problems in availing CT scan facility. “Earlier, patients faced problems in availing CT scan facilities at the hospital. Now, the situation has worsened. A patient from Keonjhar returned home without getting the CT scan facility done at SCBMCH Friday,” said social activist Abhijit Das.
Similarly, an auto-analyzer machine at the Biochemistry department of the hospital has also developed glitches recently. “Doctors have virtually stopped thyroid tests on patients in the absence of any additional auto-analyzer machine,” said a source.
Moreover, at least six departments of the SCBMCH require additional equipment to provide better healthcare to people. According to sources, departments like surgery, gynaeocology and obstetrics, anatomy, pathology and microbiology have approached the Odisha State Medical Corporation to procure additional health equipment.
The surgery department needs electro-surgical unit, autoclave and several other advanced machines. The gynaecology department has urged for four multi-channel monitors and other equipment, sources said.
The anatomy department urgently requires eight X-ray viewing lobbies, 125 microsoft monoculars and five dissection microscopes. Similarly, the pathology department has approached the medical corporation to procure four autoclaves while the microbiology department has urged for a distilled water plant and a microsoft binoculars and other equipment.
On the other hand, the auto gas analyzer system at pulmonary medicine department had some technical issues a few days ago. State Health Minister Pratap Jena had expressed concern over the development while visiting the department recently and asked the authorities to do the needful at the earliest.
When contacted, SCBMCH principal Jayshree Mohanty said they would repair the CT scan machine within a couple of days. The hospital superintendent CBK Mohanty said they have contacted an engineer to repair the auto-analyzer machine too.