Bhanjanagar: Tension gripped Bhanjanagar sub-divisional hospital following the death of an assistant executive engineer of the public health engineering department (PHED) due to alleged medical negligence here in Ganjam district Monday. The deceased was identified as Ramchandra Pattnaik.
Irate family members and relatives staged a sit-in protest before the SDH. The agitators demanded immediate suspension of the medical staff responsible for the death and action against them. The protest hit healthcare delivery services in the hospital Monday.
“Even as Pattnaik complained of heavy chest pain, the doctor checked up his health haphazardly and gave some medicines,” a peon said, adding that when an employee of the health department was not treated properly, think of the situation of a normal patient.
According to sources, Pattnaik is posted in the Bhanjanagar public health department. As usual, he had gone for duty and returned home for lunch. However, he experienced chest pain and was admitted to the local hospital.
A doctor checked his health and administered an injection and gave him some medicines. However, his condition grew critical and he succumbed in the hospital. Similarly, lecturer Amulya Mohanty had also died due to medical negligence. The agitators alleged that there was a rise in deaths in the SDH and the medical authorities did not pay heed.
The agitators said there was fewer staff in the hospital due to which patients had to go through unwanted problems. They demanded immediate posting of more staffs. When contacted, the medical superintendent Dr Pitambhar Das refuted the allegations and said there was no negligence.
PNN