Infra, patient gap hit services in SCB’s neuro ward
AT the neurosurgery ward of SCB Medical College and Hospital, staff and infrastructure facility is way less than the patient inflow.
Published: 03rd January 2019 11:17 AM | Last Updated: 03rd January 2019 11:17 AM | A+A A-
Patients sleeping on the floor of Neurosurgery ward | Rashmiranjan Mohapatra
CUTTACK: AT the neurosurgery ward of SCB Medical College and Hospital, staff and infrastructure facility is way less than the patient inflow.
In the 42-bed Neurosurgery Ward of the premiere government hospital, the patient strength is nearly 7 times more forcing the staff to accommodate them on the floor of the verandah. The bed strength has been divided into three sections, 18 are reserved for trauma patients and 24 for tumour care, including four ICUs.
Sources said, the facility in the ward is highly inadequate considering that on an average, the department receives 25 trauma cases and 15 non-trauma cases every day.
Under such conditions, the doctors have no option but to treat patients on the floor or on verandah of the ward. In some cases, a patient requiring surgery has to wait for at least a month before going under the knife.
Considering the situation arising out of increasing inflow of patients, the Health and Family Welfare Department had planned to increase the bed strength and set up a second unit. Accordingly, SCBMCH authority had shifted cardiothoracic department functioning from the Neurosurgery building to Cardiology building.
After renovation of the vacant ward, steps were taken for facilitating necessary infrastructure including beds, operation theatre, among others, for smooth functioning of the second unit. But, this is yet to be made operational.
Sources said, though the government has provided doctors to manage the unit, other paramedical staff including nurses have not been appointed.
Presently, there are two Professors, three Assistant Professors, 6 Senior Residents and 12 MCH students in the ward having two operation theatres.
“We are facing a lot of difficulties in managing the patients as all of them come here in a critical condition and it is painful to tell them to wait for surgery, but we are helpless,” said a senior doctor.
Superintendent of SCB Medical College and Hospital Prof PK Debata said gas pipelines are being installed on a war-footing and the second ward will be made operational very soon.
