Sambalpur: The state government’s ambitious 5-T programme has come under flak from the medical personnel of VSS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) at Burla in this district, a report said Saturday.
The agitating doctors claimed that VIMSAR and all other medical colleges and hospitals are reeling from a host of problems. These institutions lack necessary infrastructures, equipment and adequate number of doctors and nurses which is affecting the treatment of patients.
They said while the 5-T programme is a welcome step by the state government, the latter should make sincere efforts to improve the infrastructure and appoint more doctors before implementation of the programme.
However, instead of resolving these issues, doctors are being blamed for the problem which is unfortunate and one-sided.
The revelation came at a rally comprising junior doctors, members of the Odisha Medical College Teachers’ Association (OMTA) and the undergraduates’ association demanding withdrawal of suspension of the chief district medical officer of Sundargarh, Friday. The agitating doctors later staged a demonstration outside the main gate of the hospital.
They said a team of senior bureaucrats led by 5-T secretary VK Pandian visited the district headquarters hospital in Sundargarh and suspended CDMO Dr Pankaj Patel. This is against the rules as he was not given any chance to explain his side.
It was claimed that the CDMO was suspended as two patients were found doing their medical examinations outside and the quality of food being served in the DHH was substandard. The CDMO is not to be blamed for this as the team did not take action on the agency providing food to the hospital.
Similarly, the team also did not probe whether there were any facilities for conducting pathological and other examinations in the hospital. The agitating doctors claimed patients are being treated in the old building of VIMSAR while no new building has been constructed yet to meet the demands of the increasing number of patients. The number of beds has also not increased forcing patients to sleep on floor.
Two new buildings – a nine-storied and another four-storied — have been constructed in the hospital but they are yet to become functional due to lack of fire safety measures. The hospital also lacks modern equipment for conducting pathological and other examinations.
The agitating doctors also demanded removal of all private diagnostic centres and pathological laboratories from VIMSAR premises and to relocate them about 1 km from the hospital. Over 400 undergraduate students participated in this agitation.