CUTTACK: The practice of mortgaging identity proof for availing stretchers or wheelchairs at the SCB medical college and hospital has become a trigger for trouble in the premier health institution.
On Sunday, relatives of a patient came to blows with the hospital’s staff attendants over the system. The matter came to the fore after a video of the incident went viral on social media. The patient’s relative Prakash Singh also lodged his grievance in connection with the incident to chairman 5T and Nabin Odisha VK Pandian through social media platform X.
The incident had occurred at non-trauma casualty wing when the relatives of a critical woman patient wanted a stretcher to take her to diagnostic centre and the hospital staff asked them to submit an aadhaar card for the purpose. As none carried an aadhaar card with them, the staff refused to provide stretcher to them.
Terming it as draconian practice, the relatives raised their voice which led to an altercation with the staff and progressed to a scuffle. Tension continued to prevail at the casualty till the intervention of the security personnel.
Though efforts to elicit response from the hospital authorities proved futile, a senior official said they were forced to lay down the norms as many were not returning the stretcher or wheel chair after use. The official said the authorities had initially introduced the system of mortgaging mobile phones against availing stretchers or wheelchairs. But due to stiff opposition, it was discontinued and in its place ID cards like aadhar, driving licence, voter ID, etc., were sought.