Cuttack: A day after drawing flak from patients for denial of free services at the SCB Medical College and Hospital, the hospital’s superintendent Shyama Kanungo Tuesday convened a high-level meeting to provide cost-free treatment to people.
Sources said Health Minister Pratap Jena had expressed displeasure over the denial of free healthcare to patients at the SCBMCH Monday and asked the hospital take immediate steps on the issue.
After Jena’s direction, SCBMCH authorities took steps to conduct 221 medical tests free of cost. “We will emboss a stamp describing ‘free treatment’ on prescriptions. Patients can avail free tests by submitting the prescriptions. We will also conduct free MRI scans,” said Kanungo after the meeting.
The government had launched a special health scheme, Sahaya, December 19 and promised to provide free pathological tests to patients at public health institutes from January 1. It had also announced free dialysis to people suffering from kidney ailments.
But many patients who visited SCBMCH January 1 did not get free healthcare. Protesting against it, some patients locked the hospital gate and organised a demonstration near the superintendent’s office, sources said.
It is learnt that the hospital authorities failed to take any decision to provide free dialysis to those suffering from renal diseases. “We will not collect fees for dialysis as per guidelines of Sahaya scheme. However, there is no clarity on funding pattern for the equipment required for tests,” said a SCBMCH staffer.
Sources said hospital authorities have urged a government affiliated drug store to provide equipment for dialysis. “The hospital authorities should take a call on the issue at the earliest. At least 100 patients have applied for the medical test at the nephrology department,” said a social activist.
PNN
