Patients suffer as SCBmcH Grade-IV staff stage dharna

CUTTACK: Health care services at SCB Medical College and Hospital, here have been affected as all the 130 Grade-IV employees resorted to cease work in front of the old outdoor demanding regularisation of jobs.According to the outsourcing staff, the Grade-IV employees engaged in different wards and operation theatres (OTs) have been performing their duties since August 1, 2011 with a monthly remuneration of `3,795 only.

Though they have been working for the last 7 years, no step has been taken to regularise their service and allow them to avail government benefits.“On March 16, a notification was published for filling up 181 contractual attendant posts following which they had applied for the same. But the authorities did not consider our age and experience,” said Biranchi Narayan Senapati demanding to consider their age and experience and give appointment to all the 130 outsourcing staff on priority basis.

The Group-D staff have also alleged that they are getting less salary in comparison to the monthly salaries of outsourcing staff at Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre (AHRCC) and MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur.

The dharna has affected patients, who were waiting for getting their X-rays done as the room was shut down due to the agitation after four consecutive holidays for Raja and EID festivals. “We have persuaded them to call off the strike after forwarding their demands to government for consideration. But, they insisted to continue the strike,” said SCB Medical Administrative Officer Kalpataru Behera.

Considering the situation, SCBMCH authorities, beside serving a show cause notice to the outsourcing service provider, have also written to the government asking it to provide attendants from other hospitals if the situation persists, Behera informed.

Special dengue ward
Cuttack: Considering the dengue scare in the State, authorities of SCB Medical College and Hospital have opened a special dengue ward from Monday. The 150-bed dengue ward has been made operational following the recommendation of State Health Department and the decision of the hospital authorities. Eight ICUs have been set up at the hospital. While Dr. CBK Mohanty has been appointed as the nodal officer of dengue ward, Dr. Sriprasad Mohanty is the assistant nodal officer and Dr. Bhubanananda Moharana is the coordinator. Head of the medicine department Dr. PK Padhi has been appointed head of the dengue ward, sources in SCBMCH said. On Monday, as many as 12 samples sent to laboratory tested negative for the disease, according to hospital sources.