‘10 PM too late to check BP and hospital admission’: Doctor 'tears' prescription of elderly patient in Odisha

Tension ran high at Boudh District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) after a doctor allegedly tore the prescription of an elderly patient and misbehaved with him. 

As per the allegation of the family members of the patient, the doctor refused to check the blood pressure and admit him who visited the hospital at around 10 pm citing it was too late.

The incident has spread resentment in the area. Irate family members and relatives staged a protest on the hospital premises demanding strict action against the doctor.

According to sources, Santosh Pattanayak, 60, is a BP patient and was admitted to Boudh DHH. He was discharged after there was a slight improvement in his health. However, his condition further worsened after reaching home, following which family members had to bring him back to the hospital.

This irked the doctor so much that he tore the prescription and abused the elderly patient. He did not even back off from allegedly threatening to beat up the patient. 

“His condition was critical, so we had admitted him to the hospital and were discharged yesterday. However, his condition turned worse, so we had to bring him again to the hospital. But, the doctor refused to check on my father as 10 PM was too late night for him. He tore the prescription and started abusing my father using foul language. He even wanted to beat up my father,” alleged the patient’s daughter. 

On the other hand, the doctor refused the misbehaviour allegations and stated, “His BP had reached 170 earlier. He had come here on November 2. I prescribed him medicines, but he refused to take the medicines. The patient was non-cooperative. Today again he came and asked me to admit him at night. So, I got angry and tore his prescription. Despite prescribing medicines, he comes at night demanding to be admitted to the hospital and administered saline.”