Healthcare goes for a toss at Kalapathara hospital in absence of doctors

Cuttack: Amid poor infrastructure and absence of doctors, healthcare services at the Kalapathara government hospital in Banki of Cuttack district is in a shambles.

Locals complained that the doctors on deputation at the hospital have not been regular in their visits, forcing patients to depend on pharmacist for treatment. Due to lack of basic facilities at the Kalapathara government hospital, others have preferred to go to hospitals in faraway places.

They further alleged that the State government is making tall claims on spending crores of rupees for healthcare services in rural areas under different schemes, but the ground reality is very different. “A pharmacist is prescribing medicines in the absence of doctor at the hospital. Besides, there are no proper beds and the whole place is untidy,” said Nilima Sadangi, relative of a patient.

Expressing similar views, Lilibala Behera, a patient said, “As there are no proper beds, the patients are forced to sleep on a piece of cloth. Due to absence of doctors, some patients visit hospitals in Khurda and Bhubaneswar for treatment.”

Blaming the people’s representatives for the pathetic condition at the hospital, Naresh Kumar Sahu, a local has urged the local administration to look into the matter at the earliest.

Villagers of seven panchayats depend on the 24-bed hospital for healthcare services. Despite repeated appeals to Health department and the Banki administration, no one has been paying any heed to the requests, locals further alleged.

Meanwhile, Sunil Kumar Nanda, the Pharmacist said, “The medical officer of the hospital has handed over the charge to me. As I know the primary treatment, I ensure that patients visiting the hospital do not return distressed.”
The hospital even lacks a boundary wall which is why people residing nearby have encroached upon its campus, he added.

Cuttack CDMO Bibhuti Nayak has assured that action will be taken after an investigation. “I will look into the issues of the hospital and take appropriate action. The department will appoint doctors on contractual basis at hospitals wherever there is a shortage of doctors,” he said.