The District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), which also functions as the hospital of the FM Medical College, is lacking an indoor treatment facility for the patients suffering from psychiatric disorders. As a result, the patients coming to this DHH for treatment of mental illness are often referred to the SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack.
According to reports, in 2015 in the DHH while a department for treating mental patients was opened, it was running with the help and consultations of a clinical psychologist who was assisted by a community nurse and a worker.
Ever since the DHH became the hospital of Government medical college, a separate department was opened with a head of department and senior and junior resident doctors.
The department is opened near TB ward. Although the department is functioning, yet it doesn’t have an indoor treating facility. Sources said that in a month, about 800 patients seek mental treatment from the department while about 500 receive treatment regularly.
According to a doctor of the department, Manas Ranjan Sahu, “The treatment and consultations to the patients are given in both morning and afternoon. At times the patients are referred to the SCB Medical College Hospital when it is observed the case as serious, requiring more intensive care since we don’t have indoor treating facilities. The patients during Corona lockdown period are being provided advice through audio and video calling. About 10 patients on an average are availing the service.” He added that a proposal would be given to the Government to build a full-fledged ward indoor treating facility in the DHH.