
RAYAGADA:Tension gripped District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) in Rayagada on Wednesday as more than a hundred Persons With Disabilities (PwDs) staged dharna protesting the apathetic attitude of the medical authorities. The PwDs were miffed over absence of the orthopaedic doctor who renews and issues them certificates.
Sources said after the transfer of the only orthopaedic doctor in the hospital six months back, the post is yet to be filled up. The PwDs, who come to the DHH from far flung areas of the district, are facing untold miseries due to the absence of an orthopaedic doctor. Moreover, the victims of accident cases are referred to other hospitals after getting first-aid treatment in the DHH.
Last month, the hospital authorities had hired an orthopaedic doctor from a private hospital to meet the requirements of the PwDs. It was decided to organise a camp for the PwDs in the DHH on the second day of every month to look into their grievances. However on Wednesday, the hired doctor did not turn up at DHH which led to the protest by the PwDs.
Manjula Garadia (18), a PwD of Muniguda who is affected by polio, said as her disability certificate has not been renewed, she is deprived of rail fare concession. ‘’The Railway authorities want me to produce the a new certificate for availing the facilities,’’ she said and added that several other PwDs in the district are facing the similar problem.
‘’Though we have visited the DHH to renew our certificates several times, it has yielded no result as the authorities have turned a deaf ear to our problems,’’ Manjula added.
Several social activists joined the PwDs in their protest. On being informed, police reached the DHH and pacified the agitators. Health Secretary Pramod Kumar Meherda, who was on atour to Rayagada on Wednesday, said specialist doctors will be appointed to the DHH soon.