ROURKELA: The alarming Covid-19 situation notwithstanding the newly-constructed NTPC Medical College & Hospital (NTPCMCH) at Sundargarh town which was recommended by the Odisha government to be converted into AIIMS, continues to be under-utilised as a Covid facility.
Members of the Sundargarh District Bar Association (SDBA) led by president Sukanta Kumar Mohapatra on Tuesday handed over a memorandum to the Sundargarh Collector Nikhil Pawan Kalyan on the issue.
Mohapatra said before the NTPCMCH - which is well-equipped to perform bigger roles in healthcare delivery - could start working, the pandemic struck last year.
Since then, the MCH’s role has been restricted to limited Covid care activities. He demanded creation of 50 to 100 ICU beds immediately with deployment of manpower so that critical patients of the region could be saved from travelling 100 to 160 km to Rourkela for availing Covid treatment.
He demanded to set up an oxygen plant to attach all 400 beds of the hospital with oxygen. “An RT-PCR test lab should also be set up here considering the high Covid-19 caseload here”, said the SDBA president.
Accusing the NTPC officials of mismanaging the MCH, he alleged that even after the death of patients their families are not being informed about it. “And at times, bodies are left on beds for hours”, he said.
Health & Family Welfare Department sources said after the first wave the NTPC Covid-19 Health Centre has been opened to treat Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms. Of total 400 beds, about 200 are now equipped with oxygen support and the present deployment of manpower is capable of serving a maximum of 250 beds.