CUTTACK: The 12-member standing committee of the Odisha Legislative Assembly which visited the SCB medical college and hospital on Wednesday expressed discontentment over the tardy pace of expansion work of the facility and the shortage of healthcare personnel.
Headed by MLA Bibhuti Bhusan Pradhan, the committee comprising Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik, MLA Simarani Nayak and others inspected the new medicine ward and non-trauma casualty, interacted with some patients and held a meeting with the hospital authorities.
Sources said though the expansion work was scheduled to be completed by January this year, the committee, after its review observed that only 50 per cent of the work has been completed till date. It asked the agencies concerned to expedite the work and the latter assured of completing it by December 2025.
The committee also acknowledged the problems faced by patients in receiving proper healthcare facilities due to shortage of doctors, nurses and beds, and assured of taking up the matter with the Health and Family Welfare department. It emphasised on development of infrastructure, increasing the number of ICUs, toilets, maintaining transparency, cleanliness and improving the quality of healthcare services.
It further asked the hospital authorities to behave well with patients besides monitoring attendance of doctors and other staff. During the meeting, the committee further came to know that the expansion of Acharya Harihar Post Graduate Institute of Cancer (AHPGIC) is yet to receive administrative approval.
“We took stock of the problems faced at the hospital and will hold a discussion with the Health and Family Welfare minister in this connection,” Pradhan told mediapersons.