Angul: There is light at the end of the tunnel for patients of this district having cleft-lip and suffering from burn injuries. A hospital in Hyderabad has offered to provide free treatment to such patients. The chief district medical officer (CDMO) has also given his consent such patients to travel to Hyderabad, paving way for them to avail of the facilities.
The proposal to offer the free treatment came from a doctor of NTPC hospital at Kaniha. The CDMO Dr Pratap Kumar Behera readily approved it when it was placed before him.
Dr Behera also informed that the process to identify patients suffering from cleft-lip and burn injuries has already been started at eight community health centres (CHC) in the district.
Identification of patients in Kaniha and Pallahara will be held at Kaniha, while for those at Chhendipada, Athamallik and Kishorenagar, it will be conducted at Boinda. Similarly, victims of cleft-lip and burn injuries in Talcher and Banarpal will have to visit Talcher for enrollment to get free treatment facilities.
Patients in Angul block have been asked to come to district headquarters hospital (DHH) for identification.
The CHCs have been asked to send the list of patients to DHH. A team of doctors from Hyderabad will camp at different designated spots to examine the patients. After that they will decide on the final list who will travel to Hyderabad for treatment in August.
In September, a doctor will accompany these patients to Hyderabad, in three phases. Each phase will comprise 30 to 35 patients.
While the entire treatment there will be free of cost, the administration will bear the cost of travel. In this regard, a file has already been sent to the Collector, informed Dr Behera.
PNN