Puri: Reports of discrimination between patients admitted to the indoor wards and those visiting the Out Patient department (OPD) at the Puri district headquarters hospital (DHH) have surfaced with the OPD patients being denied free MRI scan service.
According to sources, after the state government introduced free diagnostic services at the DHH here, around 70 patients at the indoor ward have so far availed the free MRI scan service in the past 20 days, while the OPD patients are being ignored.
It is worth mentioning here that Health Minister Pratap Jena had inaugurated MRI, CT scan facilities under ‘NIDAAN-Free Diagnostic Services, a seven-bed dialysis unit under ‘Sahaya-Free Dialysis Services’ and free chemotherapy centre under ‘District Cancer Care Programme’ at the DHH May 29. He had also said that all the patients could avail diagnosis free of cost.
However, sources said the hospital authorities have excluded the OPD patients from availing the diagnostic services after a few days of operation. Meanwhile, grapevines have it that the authorities are mulling to shift the diagnostic centre elsewhere.
Expressing dismay over the issue, residents of the Pilgrim City have questioned the locus standi of the DHH authorities regarding shifting the facility as the government has the sole authority over it.
Besides, it is also alleged that the OPD patients have been barred from availing free CT-scan services. When asked, Puri chief district medical officer (CDMO) Haraprasad Patnaik refuted the allegations.
Meanwhile, resentment has started brewing among the residents as well as political parties and social outfits over the shifting of diagnosis centre. Social outfits such as Sachetana Nagarika Mancha, Srikshetra Nagarika Mancha and Biswa Manabika Surkashya Adhikar Mancha have raised their voice against the alleged proposal.