CUTTACK: Allegations of neglect have surfaced at SCB medical college and hospital, where destitute patients admitted to special wards are reportedly being deprived of basic needs including essential clothing and attendant support.
As per the norms, the medical social welfare departments in the hospitals are required to facilitate support for destitute patients including providing essential clothing like patient gowns. But in SCB, old and used clothes, donated by people, are reportedly being provided to them.
As per information provided by the hospital administration under RTI Act, the SCBMCH has no provision of clothes/dresses for the day-to-day use of the destitute patients.
While hospital authorities claim that attendants assist destitute patients with daily activities such as brushing teeth, bathing and dressing, sources say the ground reality is different. Of the 61 attendants outsourced for destitute wards, only about half reportedly work on a rotation basis, while many others are frequently absent. As a result, many patients are forced to manage their activities on their own.
RTI activist Achyut Kumar Sahoo submitted a petition on February 6 to senior officials, including those in the Health and Family Welfare and Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disability departments, urging steps to ensure new clothes are provided to destitute patients.
“If restrictions are lifted and destitute wards are made accessible to the media, patients will be able to speak about their problems and difficulties. But like prisoners, they are confined within the four walls of the wards,” Sahoo said.
Attempts to obtain a response from SCBMCH superintendent Gautam Satapathy were unsuccessful.
According to reports, following directions from the Odisha Human Rights Commission, SCBMCH in 2018 opened five special wards for destitute patients in the surgery, orthopaedics, medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, and paediatrics departments.
Currently, 206 destitute patients are undergoing treatment in these five wards, which together have a total bed capacity of 101. Although authorities had planned to install CCTV cameras in the special wards to monitor patient care when the wards were opened, this is yet to be implemented.