SAMBALPUR: Sambalpur District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) is set for a major revamp with completion of several development works. While it remains to be seen whether authorities are able to maintain the infrastructure for long, there is no denying the fact that there has been a rise in inflow of patients to the hospital.
All encroachments in front of the 223-bed DHH have been cleared and the long-standing problem of parking has been addressed. A new public toilet has also come up on the premises of the hospital, electrical accessories are being replaced and hospital building is repaired. An underground sump to store water is also developed to bring an end to the perennial water woes of the hospital. This apart, Central Registration System (CRS) has been introduced and a copy of prescription is retained to promote free medicine available in the hospital. Moreover, ECG facility has been restored and Internet surveillance introduced. The District Collector is accessing the developments on regular basis to monitor the functioning of the hospital. Laminates have also been installed in the walls of the hospital.
With help from an NGO, a 24X7 help desk has been opened on PPP mode for convenience of patients which is providing hospital-related information to the patients. The help desk has come as a major relief for poor and BPL card holders, who are eligible for availing medical facilities free of cost on production of relevant documents.
Hospital manager Sudeep Dutta said after the help desk was opened, there has been a sharp increase in number of patients visiting the hospital for medical attention. Earlier, around 800 patients used to come to the DHH on a daily basis and their number has gone up to 1700, he said. He revealed that earlier, patients were ignorant about specialist doctors available, outdoor patient facilities, provision for free medicine and free diagnostic tests in the hospital. The help desk is acting as a nodal centre to ensure that patients and their attendants do not face problems to avail treatment in the hospital, he added.