Paradip: Though this port town is considered the economic gateway of the state with several industrial units operating from here, a super specialty hospital still eludes the denizens.
In the absence of a hospital of this scale, the number of accidental deaths has been on the rise, according to a report.
Most of the victims succumb to their injuries when being taken to Cuttack-based SCB Medical College and Hospital, the nearest hospital having advanced healthcare services, which about 90 km from here, it added.
Even as Paradip has been identified for development as one of the six major petroleum, chemicals and petrochemical investment regions (PCPIRs) in India, none of the existing industrial units has taken any measures to offer advanced treatment facilities in the town.
Though a few had made promises in the past to improve medical facilities, they remained only on pen and paper, it is alleged.
For instance, the then health minister of the state announced to upgrade the Biju Memorial Hospital into a 100-bed one in 2014.
Paradip Port Trust (PPT) chairman Sudhanshu Mishra also promised to spend Rs 95 lakh to turn the port’s hospital into a super specialty one in 2013. Union minister Nitin Gadkari reiterated the announcement of Mishra in 2015. However, there is no progress on this front so far.
Ironically, more than Rs 50 lakh has already been spent on forming a review committee and its activities to set up a super specialty hospital.
The committee, meanwhile, reported that a hospital of this scale was not feasible in the present scenario. According to the panel, the number of critical patients referred by the Paradip Port Hospital to other hospitals for advance treatment is between 150 and 160 a month. Therefore, there is no need to set up a hospital of such scale for five to six patients per day. However, a super specialty hospital can become a reality only with the involvement of major industries of the town, the committee observed.
The Paradip Port Hospital had been inaugurated by the then Chief Minister Nandini Satpathy November 6, 1976 with 50 beds. The number of beds has been increased only to 64 in the last 41 years. Though the hospital is equipped with hi-tech medical equipment worth crores of rupees, it lacks qualified doctors to treat critical patients.
Similarly, the Biju Memorial Hospital is only meant for administering first aid to patients. In the absence of advanced healthcare facilities, critical patients are taken to SCB but often they die on the way.
Even as Indian Oil-run refinery has its own hospital, contractual workers and common patients are not allowed into it, it was learnt.
Meanwhile, the factories and boilers department was learnt to have informed the government over the poor healthcare facilities in Paradip.
A super specialty hospital in the town will not be a difficult task if people’s representatives of the district, three of whom are physicians, make an effort to set it up using CSR funds of industrial units, locals said. PNN
