TV
While the Odisha government continues to inaugurate new medical colleges and modern hospital buildings, the condition of the existing District Headquarters Hospitals (DHHs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) at several places allegedly remains dismal.
Many of these facilities allegedly lack even the most basic hygiene standards—wards stink, washrooms are unusable, and medical waste lies in the open. In several hospitals, essential medical equipment is either defunct or missing altogether, severely hampering treatment.
Balasore DHH Greets Patients With Filth & Stench
The Balasore District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), a critical healthcare hub for thousands across Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts, is allegedly grappling with appalling sanitation conditions that are drawing severe public criticism.
Despite signs warning of an Rs 500 fine for spitting gutkha and pan, the hospital premises are stained with betel juice and filth. Walls once painted in white and cream now bear layers of red blotches. The stench inside the hospital wards is so overpowering that visitors often cover their noses just to walk through.
Allegedly, the condition of the toilets across different wards is equally disturbing. Overflowing, filthy, and virtually unusable, these facilities are shared by patients and remain uncleaned for weeks, if not months.
Treating Patients Under Mobile Light in Binika CHC
Recently, a report surfaced where patients at the Binika community health centre (CHC) in Subarnapur district were allegedly treated under the flashlights of mobile phones due to the lack of a functional generator. Allegedly, doctors even administer saline drips in near-total darkness, highlighting a pressing issue that has persisted for years.
Similar Situation In VIMSAR, Burla
Earlier in another incident, patients were allegedly administered chemotherapy under mobile phone torch lights at Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) in Burla, Sambalpur. With no other option, doctors had to rely on mobile phone torch lights to continue with the critical treatments.
Ambulance Shortage and Maintenance Gaps in SLN
One of the most significant issues is the alleged lack of ambulances at the facility at Odisha’s Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital (SLN Medical College) in Koraput. The institution reportedly faces a shortage of ambulances, insufficient for its operational needs. The hospital premises have not had any repainting since the college's inauguration, raising maintenance concerns.
Since its establishment in 2017, S.L.N. Medical College & Hospital, the premier medical institute, has been allegedly facing a steady decline in the quality of healthcare services.
