BHUBANESWAR: Members cutting across party lines expressed concern in the state assembly on Thursday over lack of diagnostic facilities in government healthcare institutions.
Both opposition and treasury bench members came down heavily on the state health and family welfare departments over poor diagnostics facilities. Health minister Pratap Jena also admitted the deficiencies in diagnostic infrastructure in government health care centres.
Raising the issue during the question hour, senior BJD MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain accused the private clinics of charging high fees from the patients and asked the steps taken by the state government for smooth facilitation of services like CT scan and MRI scan.
He also slammed the health department over non-implementation of the Odisha Clinical Establishments (control and regulation) Act passed in the assembly in 2016. Swain also demanded prominent display of rate charts about various services in private health centres so that poor patients cannot be exploited.
In response, the health minister said the act would soon be implemented as the department is in the last phase of formulating rules.
Leader of opposition Narasingha Mishra also criticized the state government over lack of CT scan and MRI scanning facilities in district headquarters hospitals, Balangir despite availability of infrastructures.
“Though equipment for CT scan and MRI scan has already been procured, it is not being utilized,” Mishra alleged.
Mishra also sought government’s response regarding functioning of the medical college and hospital at Balangir.
In reply, the health minister said the medical colleges at Balangir and Balasore will be made functional in 2018-19 academic year. Admitting at least 30 per cent doctors’ vacancy in government health centres, Jena said soon over 1800 doctors will be appointed.
Among others, BJP state president and Nuapada MLA Basanta Panda urged to upgrade the district headquarters hospital, Nuapada to a medical college. BJD MLA Raseswari Panigrahi also expressed concern over lack of diagnostic facilities in Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Burla.
