CUTTACK: Taking cognizance of the viral video showing a woman attendant assaulting a destitute patient at SCB Medical College and Hospital, a delegation of Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Wednesday visited the hospital to inquire into the alleged torture case.
The OHRC team led by member Asim Amitabh Das visited the destitute ward of the hospital and recorded statement of eyewitnesses, held discussion with hospital authorities, staff, security officer and attendants regarding the incident.
Das observed lack of proper training to outsourcing staff, including security personnel and attendants working at the hospital and gave suggestions to hospital authorities on treating and providing health care service to destitute patients.
The OHRC member asked SCB authorities to lodge a complaint against the attendant concerned and warned from recurrence of such acts in future. Speaking to media persons, Das said the accused attendant refuted the allegations but a probe will be conducted and action will be taken accordingly.
“A patient may be mentally ill but no one has the right to beat him,” asserted Das adding that hospital authorities have been asked to implement the suggestions at the earliest.
The OHRC move came after a video purportedly showing an attendant beating up a patient in the destitute ward of surgery department of SCBMCH went viral on Tuesday. In the video, the female attendant was seen assaulting a patient with a stick in the male destitute ward even as he went on screaming.