Kamakhyanagar: Despite the surge in the number of Covid-19 cases as well as fatalities in Dhenkanal district, the sub-divisional hospital at Kamakhyanagar is functioning without a mortuary – thanks to the district administration.
In the absence of a mortuary, the bodies of unidentified persons and accident victims are left on the verandah of the hospital for hours together, often giving rise to foul smell and unpleasant situations.
The sub-divisional hospital is one of the prime healthcare facilities in Dhenkanal district. Hundreds of locals from Bhuban and Kankadahada areas, including patients from villages located in close vicinity, depend on the hospital here, attendants of patients said.
When some bodies are not identified soon after their arrival at the hospital, they are usually buried with assistance from the local police. Later, some of the decomposed bodies are exhumed for the purpose of investigation or to hand over them to the victims’ families.
Sometimes, bodies are also kept under the trees and outside the hospital building for hours creating fear psychosis among children who visit the hospital.
Despite having requisite equipment and machinery, a proposed mortuary on the sub-divisional hospital premises is yet to come up. The project could not be commissioned owing to the alleged apathetic attitude of Dhenkanal district administration.
Four patients died in the Kamakhyanagar sub-divisional hospital Saturday (May 29, 2021) due to different reasons. Surprisingly, three bodies were kept on stretchers near a dressing room and another under a tree outside the hospital building.
When contacted for his comments, Sub-Division Medical Officer (SDMO) Dr Ratnakar Samal said, “Since long we have been demanding the construction of a mortuary on the hospital premises. At times, post-mortems are being conducted immediately, in order to avoid decomposition of the bodies. We feel the pressure during tough times like the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Notably, the Kamakhyanagar sub-divisional hospital was started in a building with thatched roof in 1856. It was located around 30 km away from the existing hospital building. The new one was established in 1926, but the proposed mortuary could not come up allegedly owing to administrative red-tape.
PNN