Patients get treatment under tree in Odisha

Kendrapara: There seems to be no end to Odisha’s miserable show in healthcare services as pregnant women in tribal pockets continue to deliver newborns on road due to delay in arrival of ambulance services and people in rural areas dying sans availability of doctors in local health centres.

In the latest instance of the government’s alleged incapability to extend good hospital conditions to patients, it was reported on Sunday that some people suffering from different ailments were getting medical services under a tree at Babar Primary Health Centre (PHC) under Mahakalpada block in Kendrapara district.

As there were no beds, fans, toilets in Babar PHC, the patients were brought under the tree in the vicinity for treatment. They were made to lie on the ground and administered saline solutions from bottles hanging from tree branches. Only one doctor was found attending the patients under the tree.

According to reports, among the patients registered at the primary health centre on Friday, six were given saline under the tree.

The incident has drawn sharp reaction among the locals. Over 30,000 people of eight gram panchayats depend on the Babar PHC which was established in 1990. On an average, over 50 patients used to come to the hospital every day. However, lack of infrastructure and medical staff and shortage of doctors has become a challenge in providing better healthcare to the villagers in the block.

“As per the rule, the hospital should have an MBBS doctor, an Ayush doctor and one Pharmacist. However, the MBBS doctor post is lying vacant for the past three months. As the Ayush doctor is not entitled to prescribe allopathic medicines, the patients face difficulties without getting proper treatment. The patients have been undergoing treatment under the tree since two months,” the locals alleged.

Local MLA Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said efforts were being made to address the basic requirements of the hospital.