SAMBALPUR: Shortage of beds in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMSAR), Burla has claimed yet another life.
Sixteen-year-old Rohit Bhoi of Arjunda village under Bhatli block in Bargarh district died on Thursday afternoon after failing to get admitted to the ICU which was at full occupancy.
Rohit was brought to VIMSAR on Thursday morning in a critical condition. Suffering from jaundice, he was admitted to the Casualty ward at around 12 noon. Taking his serious condition into consideration, the doctor on duty advised immediate shifting to the ICU. However, all the ICU beds were occupied at the time.
Unable to get a bed, family members ran frenetically in the hospital pleading with authorities to get a bed in the ICU. But all their pleas went in vain as the authorities expressed their helplessness in the matter. At around 3.30 pm, Rohit breathed his last in the Casualty Ward.
This is the second such incident in less than a month. On August 22, a patient with a critical head injury was brought to VIMSAR from Boudh. However, the patient died after struggling for hours to get a bed in the ICU.
Currently, VIMSAR has nearly 1,100 beds of which only 14 are in the ICUs. Locals alleged that at times, most of the ICUs fail due to mismanagement and lack of maintenance.
Superintendent of the hospital Jayashree Dora admitted that shortage of ICU beds is a persistent problem. However, she assured that the authorities are trying to make an alternative arrangement to provide a few more ICU beds for patients.
A doctor said the hospital needs at least 100 ICU beds going by the present patient inflow. The doctors cannot be blamed for this problem as the hospital authorities have already apprised the matter to the State Government.