The Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar, and the Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH), Rourkela were established with the same status. But while the former has been elevated, with the opening of PG courses, 18 super specialty departments and adequate doctors, the latter is reeling under poor health services due to shortage of doctors, para-medical staff and inadequate infrastructure.

Now, the bed strength of the Capital Hospital which was started with 60 beds has now been increased to 650 and more than 135 doctors have been posted. Recently, a modern OT was inaugurated in the Capital Hospital.

But despite the declaration by the CM in 2019 for a 400 bedded hospital of RGH, it is not yet fulfilled. Considering the flow of patients to the RGH, the hospital needs at least 120 doctors. However, of its 92 sanctioned posts, only 49 doctors are posted now of which 3 may be relieved at any moment to another hospital, revealed sources.

As per the latest report, the sanctioned posts for Consultant (Surgeon) are four and all the posts are lying vacant. Similarly, posts of Senior Consultant (Medicine), Senior Consultant (Anaesthesia), Consultant (Pathology), Consultant (Skin and VD), Consultant (TB and CD), Consultant (Cardiology), Consultant (Psychiatry), Senior Specialist (O and G), Senior Medical Officer (GDMO) are lying vacant. Though Rourkela is an industrial city surrounded by mineral rich areas, the patients having neuro, nephro, oncology and lung problems are found in large numbers but surprisingly, no attention is given by the State Government to provide treatment facilities to those patients in the RGH. Even patients from nearby States like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh also visit RGH for treatment.

But the acute shortage of doctors in RGH has badly affected health services here. As a result, the OPD always has long queues of patients, while those admitted to various wards of the hospital are deprived of proper services. Though the Government has assured to address the issues, nothing has been done in this regard so far. Now, more than 1,000 patients visit the hospital on any given day.

A doctor of RGH on condition of anonymity said on many occasions maximum doctors have to work round the clock as there is a wide gap between the number of patients and availability of doctors. Even sometimes a doctor of another department has to attend the patients of nephro, neuro, lungs related diseases in exigency.

RGH is a prominent hospital of Sundargarh as most of the cases in the district get referred to this hospital. But scarcity of doctors at the hospital has resulted in patients often being exploited by private nursing homes in the city, said social activist PK Behera. Brokers, employed by private nursing home owners, easily mislead the patients during rush in RGH and get them admitted to private clinics, where they are exploited like anything, he added.