ROURKELA: Struggling with lack of infrastructure and inadequate doctors, the sub-divisional railway hospital of South Eastern Railway (SER) at Bondamunda in Rourkela is not even capable of providing primary healthcare to around 8,000 railway employees and their families.
Sources said around 6,000 SER employees posted at Bondamunda and Rourkela along with their families depend on the 65-bed hospital which neither has any specialist doctors nor proper pathological testing facility. With recent posting of a doctor the hospital presently has three MBBS doctors who on rotational basis attend to patients, emergencies and also perform administrative tasks.
While pathological tests are outsourced, the hospital has an outdated X-Ray machine. A private pathological technician collects samples once a day for testing outside and there are no tests available for emergency cases. The operation theatre remains defunct in absence of a surgeon. Emergency and accident cases get immediately referred to tie-up hospitals including the Ispat General Hospital (IGH), Rajasthan Seva Sadan and CWS Hospital.
A private gynecologist extends consultancy service on a case-to-case basis. Secretary of Bondamunda unit of SER Men’s Congress (SERMC) D Chandrasekhar Rao said the sanctioned strength of the hospital is seven doctors, but it is being managed by only three. He said with no advanced medical facilities the hospital presently treats common ailments like fever, cold and cough, blood pressure and blood sugar fluctuations. He said the principal chief medical officer from SER headquarters in Kolkata visited the hospital a fortnight back during which the staff demanded posting of more doctors and enhancement of facilities at the facility.
Rao said the jurisdiction of the sub-divisional railway hospital extends to whole of Sundargarh and Jharsuguda districts.
Four days back, former union minister and former Rourkela MLA Dilip Ray had met Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw requesting him to upgrade the hospital. Ray said the minister gave him positive assurance of addressing the shortcomings at the hospital. Divisional railway manager (DRM) of Chakradharpur Division of SER Arun Jatoh Rathod had visited the hospital recently to take stock of the situation.