CUTTACK: Postmortem of bodies at SCB Medical College and Hospital was halted for a couple of hours due to waterlogging following heavy rains in the city on Tuesday.
Waste water from a nearby overflowing drain inundated the road stretching from Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (FMT) department to the postmortem room. As a result, doctors and the hospital staff were forced to remain inside the department. Besides, the drain water also inundated the postmortem room and office.
Subsequently, the water was drained out with the help of a pump set installed by Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) and autopsy of bodies commenced after a delay of around two hours.
Sources said postmortem of at least eight bodies were scheduled to be conducted on Tuesday. But due to the delay, the doctors and staff could conduct autopsy of seven bodies. A senior doctor of the FMT department said, “Waterlogging due to rains is a regular affair during monsoon. Whenever it rains, the drain starts to overflow, inundating the road and postmortem room.
Waterlogging was also witnessed near Obstetrics and Gynaecology department, surgery ward, old OPD, Skin department and the entrance of the hospital on Mangalabag gate side. The hospital authorities said the waterlogging situation arose due to closure of the drain by the construction company carrying out the MCH’s expansion work.
WATCO officials claimed the drain passing through different departments of the hospital doesn’t have the capacity to carry huge volume of storm water. They, however, said a main drain linking to the storm water channel of the city should be constructed for free flow of water.
“We had conducted a joint survey with engineers of CMC and prepared a blueprint for construction of a main drain. The civic body should prepare a master plan for construction and linking of the main drain to the storm water channel to permanently solve the waterlogging problem in the MCH,” said an official of WATCO.