Cuttack: Issues like unreliability, absence of doctors and lack of infrastructure gripping primary hospitals continue to expose the chinks in the shoddy healthcare system of the State.
Just days before the launch of Mo Sarkar initiative by the State government to make the healthcare sector more people-friendly and accountable, a newborn died during delivery outside a hospital in Cuttack district.
According to reports, a pregnant woman was brought for delivery to Gurudijhatia Primary Health Centre in Athagarh block today but her family members reportedly found the healthcare centre closed. Despite waiting for hours while the woman was in labour, none turned up to facilitate delivery forcing her to deliver the baby outside the centre.
After the delivery, she along with her newborn was immediately rushed to Brahmapur Community Health Centre in Athagarh. Even though the woman was out of danger, her baby died at the hospital.
Narrating the incident, the woman’s husband said, “The doctor at the healthcare centre in Gurudijhatia had assured that it would be a normal delivery and everything was alright four to five days ago. He had asked us to get an ultrasounography of the baby and mother and visit him for delivery in few days. Today when we visited the healthcare centre it was shut for hours.”
Even though comments could not be obtained from the concerned health officials at Gurudijhatia in connection with the matter, local MLA and Food and Supplies Minister Ranendra Swain who visited the healthcare centre after the incident said, he would take up the matter with the State Health Minister.
"It is quite sad to see people in my area suffer due to absence of staff and various other issues plaguing the healthcare centres. I will try to attract the attention of the Health Minister towards the matter," said Swain.
After telecast of the report on the incident, Health Minister Naba Das directed Cuttack CDMO and Public Health Officer (PHO) to conduct a probe and submit the findings within 3 days.
According to the consolidated health status report available with the State Health Department, the State has recorded a massive 3,045 infant deaths during the first quarter (April-July) of the financial year 2019-20. But despite allocation of crores of rupees of funds for better healthcare in the State, high Infant mortality still haunts Odisha acutely.