

Two organisations have threatened to launch agitation protesting against callous attitude of the Health Department towards construction of a separate building for dietary department in MKCG Medical College and Hospital, here.
P Kameswar Rao of Anti-corruption Consumer and Civil Rights and Siba Prasad Mishra of Ganjam Zilla Parishad in two separate letters to the Health Minister have expressed their concern over neglect of dietary department in the hospital. They stated that though the State Government had sanctioned funds for construction of new buildings for different departments of the 1081-bed hospital, the authorities ignored the dietary department which is functioning from a portion of a dilapidated building in an unhygienic condition with lone dietician.
They pointed out that the Central Government had suggested for construction of separate building for dietary department with one dietician per 100 patients, but the authorities remain indifferent to the suggestion.
Recently, Rao had filed a petition before the Odisha Human Rights Commission mentioning the plight of the department and seeking necessary direction to the Health department. The Commission in January had requested the Health Secretary to do the needful, but no step has been taken in this regard till date, said Rao.