PHULBANI/UMERKOTE/JEYPORE/BHAWANIPATNA/ANGUL: Amid the ongoing strike by government doctors across the state, a grieving family in Kandhamal district was reportedly forced to transport the body of a 60-year-old man for nearly 60 km for postmortem examination.
Pusara Pradhan of Nedinaju village under Gadaguda gram panchayat in G Udayagiri block reportedly drowned in a pond on Wednesday evening. Family members rescued him and took him to G Udayagiri community health centre (CHC) where he was declared dead.
However, owing to the ongoing agitation by doctors, the mandatory postmortem examination could not be conducted at the CHC, forcing the family to keep the body at the hospital overnight.
Amid drizzling rain on Thursday morning, Pusara’s family members sent his body in an arranged vehicle to the district headquarters hospital (DHH) at Phulbani, around 60 km from G Udaygiri, for autopsy. Along with Gadaguda sarpanch Pushpalata Pradhan and villagers, they later reached Phulbani DHH and completed the necessary postmortem formalities.
Villagers said the unexpected journey and transportation expenses further compounded the hardship of the poor family. Sarpanch Pushpalata urged the state government to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services during the agitation and extend financial assistance to the bereaved family.
Police said the exact cause of the elderly man’s death would be ascertained after the postmortem report is received.
Meanwhile, healthcare services in both remote and urban areas across the state were severely affected by the indefinite strike called by the Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA) which entered the third day on Friday.
In Nabarangpur, outpatient services were disrupted in the DHH and sub-divisional hospital at Umerkote. Being the primary referral centres for thousands of people from Umerkote, Jharigam, Chandahandi, Raighar, Papdahandi, Dabugaon, Kosagumuda, Nandahandi, Indravati, and adjoining areas of Chhattisgarh, the two hospitals wore a deserted look with doctors remaining absent from routine duties.
Patients, including the elderly and children, were seen waiting for hours in the hope of receiving medical attention while many others were forced to return home without treatment.
Similarly in Koraput, healthcare delivery was affected at the DHH in Jeypore as government doctors continued their indefinite cease-work agitation. On the day, the agitating doctors staged a demonstration before proceeding to the office of the chief district medical officer at Koraput, leaving hundreds of patients stranded.
While the doctors’ strike evoked a mixed response in Kalahandi, it had little impact on healthcare delivery in Angul district as all routine OPD services remained operational.