Doctors use mobile torchlight to treat patients in Sundergarh

Odisha government’s tall claims of offering proper healthcare services in the State seem to have received a jolt after alleged incidents of patients receiving treatment under mobile torchlight at Rajgangpur Community Health Center (CHC) came to the fore.

As per reports, an accident victim was treated with the help of mobile torchlight at the hospital recently due to a power cut. As there was no alternative power supply in the hospital, the doctors were forced to treat the woman using mobile torchlight.

Moreover, patients in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of the hospital are the worst sufferers when power goes out in the hospital. Though the hospital has a generator it is lying defunct.

Without alternative power supply measures at the hospital, the patients are now suffering. The newborn babies along with their mothers have to suffer like anything when there is a power outage at the hospital.

“Whenever there is a power outage, the patients have to suffer as the hospital doesn’t have any alternative arrangement. The government is only constructing hospital buildings. However, other minimum required infrastructure facilities are missing in those hospitals,” said Ramesh Soni, a relative of a patient.

Meanwhile, as per hospital authorities, though the hospital has a generator, it is not functioning properly.

“We feel sorry for the inconvenience to the patients. Though the hospital has a generator, it is not functioning properly. We have informed about it to the higher authorities. The old one will be repaired and a new generator will be brought to the hospital soon,” said Doctor Jagdish Toppo, Superintendent of Rajgangpur Community Health Center.