Keonjhar: Super specialty healthcare service that has been launched at the district headquarters hospital (DHH) here to provide quality healthcare to the poor and tribal people is said to be suffering due to defunct equipments and doctors’ truancy.
The super specialty service was put in place with funds from the District Mineral Foundation (DMF).
Reports said the DHH management has been entrusted with a social department which has to look after all kinds of jobs starting from security of patients and hospitals to sanitation of wards.
Locals said that even though funds have been provided for all such jobs, there has been no improvement in the system. Patients are entitled to get all diagnostic tests free of charge, but they are not available.
Four super specialty doctors have been appointed on a monthly salary of over Rs 1 lakh each and they are supposed to treat patients for a day in a week. Most of the time, the doctors play truant, it is alleged.
A super specialty doctor appointed to treat cancer patients does not turn up at the hospital for months together. In his absence, patients have to return disappointed every day.
The hospital also lacks a hi-tech diagnostic centre. As a result, patients in need of critical diagnostic tests are deprived of the facilities.
Sachtan Nagarika Manch, an outfit of local residents, had protested over the issue in the past, but nothing has been done to improve the situation.
The outfit has blamed the mess on lack of coordination and monitoring by the hospital administration and the DMF authorities.
Over 200 patients turn up at the hospital every day. They lamented that X-ray machines, ECG, ultrasound and other medical devices are not working. Kidney patients are supposed to get free dialysis, but the system is not working.
Tests for blood sugar and typhoid are not available while kits for urinal vile, some injections, chemicals and saline syringes are not available, locals alleged.
However, DHH manager Bharat Bhusan Parida claimed that patients are being provided services while the system has been improved and certain problems have been sorted out.
The DMF authorities have been apprised of the absence of specialty doctors, he added.
PNN