BALANGIR: The BJP on Sunday strongly condemned the FIR filed against Dinesh Sharma, nominee of Balangir MP Sangeeta Singhdeo, after he shared pictures of ventilators allegedly lying unused at Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital (BBMCH) on social media.
The FIR was filed by BBMCH superintendent Mahendra Nayak on Saturday, accusing the MP's nominee of 'forcefully' entering the hospital and leaking pictures of unused ventilators. Demanding withdrawal of the FIR and accusing the hospital administration of medical negligence, the BJP said it reflects poorly on the BBMCH to not use ventilators at this critical time when people are dying of oxygen deprivation.
Sources said that the hospital had received 25 ventilators last year through PMCARES fund. During a BJP review meet in the ditrict in April, it was found that out of the 25 ventilators, 15 are not in use. Subsequently, Balangir MP Sangeeta Singhdeo urged the authorities concerned to install all the ventilators.
But when Singhdeo's nominee Dinesh Sharma visited the hospital on May 19, he saw that eight ventilators are still lying idle. He took photos of the unused ventilators and shared those on social media. Later, superintendent of BBMCH Mahendra Nayak filed an FIR against Sharma.
BJP district president Sibaji Mohanty said the Collector and Superintendent are neglecting health issues of COVID patients. "Instead of utilising the ventilators, the hospital administration is filing an FIR for showing the truth to public," he said.