CUTTACK/ KENDRAPARA: Unable to get a bed at SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCB MCH) here, environmentalist and Kharasrota Banchao Sangram Samiti activist Srikant Nayak (45) took shelter under a tree on Thursday.
Nayak was on hunger strike near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Kendrapara town to protest diversion of water from Kharasrota river to neighbouring Bhadrak district as part of a Rs 754 crore mega drinking water project under Basudha Yojana since August 10.
He was admitted to the Kendrapara district headquarters hospital (DHH) on August 15 by the administration after he fell ill.
The activist alleged that the district administration with the help of local police forcibly shifted him from the DHH to SCB MCH even as he had no major health complications. "A team of Kendrapara police reached the DHH with a referral paper at around 11 pm on Wednesday and told me that I would be shifted to SCB MCH for better treatment. I asked them how can I be referred to SCB MCH in the absence of doctors who have not apprised me of my illness. I also asked the police how can they take me to SCB MCH without informing my family. But they ignored my concerns and shifted me from bed no 107 at the DHH to Cuttack in an ambulance," he said.
Kendrapara CDMO Dr Anita Patnaik said Nayak refused to have food at the DHH and did not budge due to which he was shifted to Cuttack. After arriving at SCB MCH, Nayak was admitted to the Casualty for COVID-19 testing after which he was taken to the medicine ward. However, the ward was overcrowded.
"Some patients were lying on the floor due to shortage of beds. The hospital authorities told me they will vacate a bed for me within an hour. But after looking at the pitiable condition of the ward, I decided to stay under a tree outside the ward," said Nayak.
As soon as news of Nayak lying unattended under a tree spread, SCB MCH emergency officer Dr Bhubanananda Maharana rushed to the spot and made arrangements for admitting Nayak to the medicine ward. "Nayak has been shifted to an ICU in the medicine ward and his condition is stable," he said, adding a probe will be initiated to ascertain under what conditions the activist ended up under a tree.