BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday announced to set up a 30-bed urban Community Health Centre (CHC) at Bargarh town. The CHC will function from the old building of Bargarh district headquarters hospital (DHH). The announcement came after residents of Bargarh town observed bandh for consecutive two days demanding a city hospital at the old building.A statement issued by the CMO stated that emergency and OPD services will be provided at the urban CHC along with free ambulance and bus facilities for patients and their attendants.
Earlier in the day, Labour Minister Susanta Singh, Rajya Sabha Member Prasanna Acharya, Bargarh MLA Debesh Acharya and former Minister Bimbadhara Kunara met the Chief Minister at Lok Seva Bhavan here and apprised him about the suffering of patients.“The State Government is always sensitive towards the issues and problem faced by people. We hope the people of Bargarh will cooperate with the decision for the larger interest of the State,” said Singh.
The bandh called by Bargarh Nagarika Ekata Manch on Monday and Tuesday had evoked spontaneous response with people demanding a city hospital in the DHH building which is lying unutilised after the district hospital was shifted to Tukurla, about 10 km from Bargarh town.
Though the district administration started providing health services at the old DHH building on Monday to avoid public outrage, the activists continued the bandh on Tuesday demanding a hospital with adequate number of beds, doctors and paramedical staff. Earlier, Bargarh MP Suresh Pujari had written to the Chief Minister requesting to covert the old DHH building into a city hospital. He had also demanded a cancer hospital-cum-research institute at Bargarh to cater to the need of the entire Western Odisha.