BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has directed the Additional Chief Secretary of Health department to inquire into allegations against hospitals, including Government healthcare institutions, in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar denying admission to a patient, who had sustained serious injuries on September 8.The Additional Chief Secretary has been directed to submit a report in this regard by October 15. Pabitra Nayak filed a petition with the Commission on Tuesday stating that his brother, Ranjit had sustained stabbing injury and his family approached many private healthcare institutions as well as Capital Hospital, AIIMS and SCBMCH but all the establishments denied admission to the patient.
OHRC noted that if the claim of the petitioner is true then it reveals a ‘very sad’ state of affairs in treating a patient in need of immediate medical attention. The Commission observed that a patient cannot be denied treatment/surgery on the plea of Covid-19.Ranjit was reportedly attacked with a knife by his neighbours at Aurobindo Basti within Chandrasekharpur police limits over a personal dispute.
The injured and his family members approached Chandrasekharpur police to lodge a complaint but they advised them to take him to a hospital soon. Ranjit was rushed to a private hospital, then to Capital Hospital and later to two more healthcare institutions on September 8 but all these facilities denied him admission.
Subsequently, he was taken to AIIMS where the patient tested positive for coronavirus following which, he was denied surgery on the ground that was no operation theatre for carrying out surgery of Covid-19 patients.Between September 9 and 18, family members of Ranjit visited various hospitals for surgery but to no avail.
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) contacted the victim on September 19 and shifted him to a Covid hospital in Patia.“If the patient is still in the hospital then immediate treatment must be provided or surgery should be carried out. The cost of the treatment will be undertaken by the patient,” said the OHRC in its order issued on Tuesday.