Sorry state of affairs at SCBMCH in Cuttack; healthcare goes for a toss

A purported photo and a video captured in SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) in Cuttack have recently gained widespread attention on social media, depicting saline bottles precariously hanging from wires during intravenous treatment, sources said on Monday.

This has perturbed many following a post by a patient’s relative. The incident allegedly took place in the SCBMCH surgery ward, sparking concerns regarding hospital management.

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Despite reports of significant financial investments being allocated for the government-run health facility’s infrastructure development, there appears to be a shortage of even basic medical equipment such as saline stands. This has led to public discontentment over the apparent oversight by SCB authorities, including doctors, nurses and other medical staff.

However, when contacted, the hospital authorities responded to these concerns, attributing the troubling situation to the overwhelming number of patients the hospital is currently admitting, which they claim has resulted in the unfortunate conditions witnessed.

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“More patients usually come to the hospital than its capacity to accommodate and treat. Hence, they (medical staff) do like that and hang the saline bottles on the walls. Even, at times, such problems appear due to insufficient space to keep a saline stand,” SCBMCH Registrar (Administration) Dr. Abinash Rout expressed.

“We have provided more number of saline stands than the number of beds. However, I will look into the matter and take the necessary steps after conducting a probe. The fault will be rectified and I will ensure that patients do not face any difficulty,” the Registrar added.