Though the Odisha government has been making tall claims of taking several initiatives to provide world-class healthcare facilities in the State, hundreds of patients and their attendants are suffering due to the scorching heat because of alleged lack of proper facilities on the premises of different hospitals across the State.
Ordeal of patients and attendants
Take the case of Balasore District Headquarters Hospital. Hundreds of patients visit the hospital every day. They along with their attendants have to wait for hours outside for their turn to consult the doctors. As the hospital has 'no shelter facilities', the situation is forcing the patients and their attendants to wait outside in long queues amid the sweltering heat.
Moreover, they also have to go through ordeal 'sans drinking water facilities on the hospital premises'. With the mercury continuously hovering over 40 degree Celsius and people succumbing to sunstroke in Odisha including one in the district, patients and their attendants are allegedly left in a lurch sans shelter and drinking facilities on the hospital premises.
“We have to wait in long queues to consult the doctors amid scorching heat which is unbearable. Besides, the hospital doesn’t have drinking water facilities on its premises, as a result, patients and attendants are suffering,” said Gudu Khan, a patient.
“Lives of patients and their attendants are at risk as they are forced to stand amid sweltering heat. It’s quite unfortunate that such a huge hospital doesn’t have shelter and drinking water facilities,” said Sabhyatani Rout, relative of a patient.
However, the medical authorities seem indifferent towards the ordeal of the patients and their relatives.
Hospital authorities indifferent
“All kinds of facilities have been provided to the patients and their attendants on the hospital premises. There is no drinking water issue here,” said Balasore Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO), Dulal Sen Jagdeo.
“The number of patients has doubled in summer; as a result, people have to wait in long queues at the registration counter. Construction of a shelter is currently under progress and it will be completed soon. We don’t have any drinking water problems at the hospital,” he added.
Meanwhile, with IMD predicting further predicament due to the prevailing heat wave conditions across Odisha, patients and their attendants have demanded to set up proper facilities on the hospital premises at the earliest.