Khordha DHH runs sans BP machine, patients call it 'shameful'; CDMO summoned

Hard to believe, but Khordha District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) does not have even a Blood Pressure machine for patients. It came to the fore after the newly appointed district collector K Sudarshan Chakravarthy paid a visit to the hospital on Thursday. 

According to sources, Chakravarthy took the charge of Khordha district collector on Thursday. Soon after taking the responsibility, Chakravarthy paid a visit to the DHH to take a stock of the situation.

The district collector however expressed his displeasure after not finding a blood pressure machine in the hospital. Upon enquiring, he came to know that the hospital had a BP machine but as the machine got defunct, the hospital authorities have been sending patients to measure their BP level in the outlets outside the hospital premises.

Similarly, the district collector also expressed his discontentment with hospital authorities for not maintaining sanitation at the hospital. Meanwhile, he has directed the concerned hospital authorities to provide enough care to patients by improvising the sanitary system.

Santosh Kumar Biswal, a patient said, “This is a headquarters hospital which witnesses footfall of many patients every day. But it is shameful that the hospital does not have a BP machine which is why patients are suffering a lot and falling prey to middlemen. The government has only provided a big building for the hospital where BP machine is not available. The government should provide sufficient infrastructure so that people would not be deprived of minimum service here.”

Uday, a doctor said “As BP machine is not available I have asked my patients to do BP check-up outside according to their convenience. Then only I prescribe medicines to them.”

When asked, the district collector said, “It was a general visit and I have asked the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) for a meeting.”