Nayagarh: At a time when Odisha government is making tall claims about providing better healthcare by rolling out various schemes including 108 and 102 ambulance services, there seems to be no check to ensure that these services are reaching their intended beneficiaries.
The ground reality suggested that patients in this district continue to face hardship in seeking emergency medical services since the available ambulances are too far and too few on most occasions.
While at times the phone numbers do not work, at others the operators are not able to arrange an ambulance on time. While ambulances lie at garages for months without the knowledge of hospital administration, private ambulance operators fleece the customers. All of this is business as usual in Nayagarh.
According to government data, there are 12 community healthcare centres (CHC) and 37 primary healthcare centre (PHC) in this district. While 12 ambulances have been earmarked for 102 service, there are 15 vehicles for 108 service. While the 102 ambulances facilitate free service to pregnant women, newborn babies and their mothers, 108 ambulances are supposed ferry all other patients. Availability of the vehicles, however, remains a concern.
According to recent reports, a woman had to deliver her baby on the roadside at Sialikhala of Barapalli village under Bhatasahi panchayat in this district September 29, 2016. Recently, a woman had to be taken to hospital in a rickshaw. In another incident, a person of Shikharpur village died due to lack of ambulance leading to protests. Angry mob roughed up the doctor in that incident as well. However, nothing has changed over the years.
CDMO Dr. Sweta Mohapatra, meanwhile, expressed ignorance about the presence of ambulances in the garage and assured to look into this matter.
