Poor Healthcare Facilities Continue To Haunt Patients In Odisha

Even though the Odisha government is rolling out a plethora of schemes to ensure better healthcare facilities, the ground reality in several parts of the State still tells a different story. While some healthcare units lack basic medical equipment, the unavailability of doctors at many hospitals continues to mar the entire healthcare delivery mechanism.

In a glaring example of such poor healthcare facility, beds at the ESI hospital in Keonjhar’s Badbil are gathering dust while the equipment at the laboratory are lying in a dilapidated condition. According to locals, the doctor working there is on leave for the last four months and the nurses and the attendants at the hospital are inadequate. 

A doctor from Kansabahal visits the hospital once or twice a month to treat the patients, the locals alleged.

Moreover, the patients are deprived of getting medicines on time as the pharmacist post is lying vacant at the hospital. Similarly, the ambulance is lying defunct since years, the locals said, adding that if their problem is not addressed immediately, they will launch a protest soon.

“We are facing a lot of problems due to the unavailability of doctors at the hospital. The nurses here are prescribing our medicines,” alleged Santosh Sahoo, a patient.

“Due to shortage of staff, we are unable to cater to the patients. We need at least a pharmacist and doctor for smooth functioning,” said Pramila Behera, a nurse at the hospital.

The concerned medical authorities could not be reached for their reaction on the allegations. 

Similarly, the scene at the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Jajpur’s Dharmasala is nothing different. The unavailability of doctors in key departments like Medicine, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology continues to trouble the healthcare delivery mechanism at the hospital. Besides, the MCH building, which was built at an expense of crores of rupees, is yet to be functional. 

“We are forced to take medical advice from doctors who are not experts in obstetrics and gynecology as the doctor posts for the concerned departments are lying vacant. We just want the government to fill up the vacant positions so that we can get better healthcare facilities,” said Sita Behera, family member of a patient.

Responding to the allegation, Biranchi Narayan Barick, Jajpur district health officer said, “Of the 11 allotted doctor posts at the Dharmasala CHC, five are vacant. We have informed the same to the Odisha government and soon the vacancies will be filled.”