154 doctors’ posts lying vacant in Khordha DHH; patients continue to suffer

Treatment of the patients has been severely affected at the Khordha District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) as several posts of the doctors are lying vacant in more than half of the departments. 

The healthcare situation in the hospital has deteriorated to such an extent that even the normal patients are allegedly being referred to other hospitals in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

As per reports, thousands of people from as many as four constituencies of the district depend on the hospital for treatment. However, only 46 doctors are currently appointed for the hospital and as many as 154 posts are lying vacant.

Under this kind of circumstance, the patients are reportedly having a torrid time at the hospital. Take the case of Sairan Bibi from Chanagiri village in the district. Sairan came to the hospital at around 9 am. However, after running to different departments for more than three hours and consulting the officials and doctors, her son was finally referred to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar.

“My son is severely ill and I have to spend three hours in the hospital for his treatment. However, the doctors finally referred him to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar. We are poor people. Now we are helpless, don't know what to do,” she said.

Similar is the case of Kalabati Dei who was suffering high fever. After waiting long hours for treatment, she was referred to another hospital in Bhubaneswar. 

Hundreds of patients come to Khordha DHH for treatment every day. However, they are being referred to Cuttack and Bhubaneswar as many doctors’ posts are lying vacant.

“We have no alternative but to go to other hospitals as the doctors are referring us,” said Santosh Kumar Srichandan, a relative of a patient.

Moreover, as National Highways No 16 and 57 pass through Khordha, many accidents occur along the roads on a daily basis. As a result, many inured persons come to the hospital for treatment. For these kinds of patients, a trauma care unit was set up at the hospital with modern equipment and ambulance facilities around seven years ago. However, the equipment and ambulance were provided to other hospitals as an expert doctor for trauma care could not be appointed.

Repeating the same kind of mistake, an ICU with 10-bed facility was inaugurated at the hospital recently with an expenditure of Rs 50 lakh. However, questions are now being raised over the functioning of the ICU as no expert doctor has been appointed for the purpose.

“Poor people are suffering like anything as several posts of doctors are lying vacant at the hospital. Even normal patients are referred to other hospitals. We demand to fill up the vacant posts of doctors at the earliest,” said Soumyaranjan Harichandan, a resident of Khordha.

Meanwhile, Khordha Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Artabandhu Nayak assured that the issue will be solved soon following the appointment of doctors. “The recruitment process of doctors is on. Hopefully, all the vacant posts will be filled soon,” said Nayak.