

BHAWANIPATNA: The six-bed dialysis centre of the district headquarters hospital (DHH) here has been facing dearth of infrastructure and management problems even when it caters to patients at full occupancy every day. It runs on PPP mode through Rahi Foundation since 2018 and serves patients free of cost.
Sources said, the generator set installed in 2018 is defunct since last one year due to lack of maintenance and AC too is non-functional. The oxygen cylinders are empty and ventilators out of order, alleged Prakash Pradhan, whose wife died in the dialysis centre on May 16, 2023. No urologist has been appointed at the facility and the surroundings of the centre are unhygienic, he added.“My wife Pragati Pradhan died in the dialysis centre due to lack of logistic support and negligence of dialysis centre administration,” alleged Pradhan.
On May 16, he admitted Pragati to the dialysis centre as her haemoglobin level went down to six. She was advised one unit of blood infusion. Accordingly, the infusion began at 10 am and got over at 12 noon which was abnormally fast as it usually takes four hour for one unit of blood infusion. “Within 10 minutes, her blood pressure rose and she gasped for breath. But there was no functional oxygen cylinder in the centre. By the time a cylinder was brought after official formalities, my wife was feeling acutely asphyxiated,” he alleged.
A few moments later, Pragati breathed her last. “Had there been a cylinder or ventilator available, my wife could have been saved,” he rued.CDMO Dr Girish Chandra Rout said basing on the allegation of Pradhan, the ADMO has been asked to inquire and report.
Contacted, ADMO Dr Ranjan Mitra said the dialysis centre is being run on PPP mode and the costs incurred are reimbursed by the foundation. “For all infrastructure and management issues, Rahi Foundation should be able to answer,” Mitra said. On the allegation of delay in treatment, he said the probe will ascertain the veracity of the allegation.