As the State will observe the World Health Day on Saturday, the reality check for Odisha during the year ended on March 31, 2018 shows a whopping 91 per cent of the State population reporting sickduring the year.
Moreover, another around 6 per cent of the population in year 2017-18 were reported to be acutely sick as they had undergone treatment in the inpatient department (IPD) of various hospitals in the State.
According to patient load data available with the State Health Department, a high of over 4.1 crore people have attended the outpatient department (OPD) of health centres across the State in 2017-18. Similarly, the loads in IPDs across the State have been estimated at over 25 lakh in the same year. The trend analysis reveals a rise in OPD load in 2017-18 by around 3 per cent vis-a-vis 2016-17, but load in IPD has decreased marginally during 2017-18 compared to 2016-17.
However, the significant change this year has been fall in female inpatient death proportion. But female inpatients number rose by a slice in 2017-18, data reveals. The fact, however, remains is female and child patients outnumber men, and they account for around 89 per cent of inpatient load in the State. As female and children accounted for nearly four-fifth of the patients in Odisha, female account for over three-fifth and children account for nearly one-fourth of the patient load.
While high female inpatient load is mostly attributed to child delivery cases, high children inpatient load indicates sick condition of children in State. Data reveals that around 1,030 maternal mortality cases were recorded in 2017-18, and nearly around 12,600 infant deaths were recorded in the State in the same period.
As per available data on death burden at IPDs in Odisha, a high of nearly 46,000 deaths were reported in year 2017-18. Significantly, around 5,500 such IPD deaths were female inpatients. The causes of death range from birth related to TB, pneumonia, cervix cancer, and acute anaemia.
A district-wise analysis reveals that though Cuttack district accounted for the highest OPD load in State due to high load at SCB Medical College and Hospital from across the State, Mayurbhanj comes 2nd in OPD load generated in the State in 2017-18. Malkangiri and Rayagada recorded highest patient load in State, where around 96-93 per cent of population have attended OPD for treatment. Koraput also equalled them with 95 per cent OPD load this year against around 91 per cent last year. Northern Odisha followed southern Odisha in generating high patient load with Mayurbhanj and Baleswar accounting for around four-fifth of population attending OPDs in 2017-18. In western Odisha, Bargarh has recorded highest patient load as the OPD attendance exceeds the district’s population, which indicates patient flow to Bargarh hospitals from nearby districts. Sundergarh, which topped last year with patient load of around 83 per cent of population, recorded a dip this year to around 69 per cent.
Boudh, Sambalpur and Nabarangpur topped with highest proportion of female inpatients to total inpatients admissions across districts in State. Jharsuguda and Gajapati topped State in highest proportion of child inpatients to total IPD admissions.