Saswat Singhdeo

Berhampur: Emergency healthcare services at MKCG College and Hospital in Berhampur have been severely hit due to inoperative blood cell separator machines in the Blood Bank for past two months.

As per reports, the machines which segregate plasma and platelets from blood have not been fixed after they developed some technical glitches some two months back due to which people suffering from fatal diseases like dengue and anaemia which require frequent blood transfusion are unable to get proper treatment. The situation is so worse that the hospital authorities are forced to shift patients to SCB hospital in Cuttack.

It may be noted that as thousands of people from 10 adjoining districts of Ganjam are dependent on MKCG hospital, the breakdown in crucial intensive healthcare machines in the State's premier hospital in southern region has sparked dissatisfaction among the locals and other patients who come to the hospital for treatment.

“This is the only machine here which separates platelets and plasma. It is not functional which is why patients are suffering,” said Satyanarayan Das, a Berhampur resident.

Member of Manabadhikar Surakshya Mancha, a people's welfare forum Shyam Sundar Khadanga said, “It is unfortunate that the machine is lying non-functional for last 2 months. Many poor patients are dying and others are forced to spend a lot of money to get treated at other hospitals."

Sources said, blood cell separator machines are also available at Cuttack SCB and Burla hospital in Sambalpur. In order to provide the fast blood transfusion facilities to critical patients, the State government procured a separator machine at MKCG hospital in the year 2008. However, due to its inoperative condition, currently, 150 units of plasma remaining available at the blood bank are being given to patients.

While no comments could be obtained from the hospital administration, the district authorities have said that the concerned company has assured to fix the machine within seven days.

“After inspection, the machine was repaired by the agency but it didn’t start. It has a defective part which is only available in Hyderabad. Hopefully within seven days, the agency will procure the part and fix the machine,” said Berhampur Sub-collector, Shinde Dattatraya Bhausaheb.

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