The Central Hospital of East Coast Railways here was set up with an aim to provide medical facilities to about 20,000 railway employees and their family members.
During the last 10 to 20 years, lots of infrastructure have been developed and equipments worth crores of rupees have been purchased by the hospital authorities to ensure better treatment to employees. But unfortunately, the hospital has failed in its aim and is plagued by gross irregularities.
BJP State general secretary Susant Kumar Sabat has alleged that ECoR employees are not getting proper medical services as doctors are not available most of the times. Some of the doctors like the Chief Medical Director (Gynaecologist), Deputy Chief Medical Director (Gynaecologist) and paediatric doctors are allowed to continue in the same place for the last 10 to 15 years flouting the transfer policy of Railway Board and Supreme Court.
When there is shortage of IRMS doctors in this East Coast Zone, more than six IRMS doctors are engaged in official work in the headquarter office to handle paper correspondence and liaisoning, Sabat said.
Similarly, the Assistant Nursing Officer (gazetted post) was created in this Central Hospital by the then Chief Medical Director in the interest of present incumbent and the same person has been continuing as the ANO for more than 15 years in this Central Hospital, he alleged.
Sabat further alleged that under a recognised union in this railway, the present ANO is enjoying absolute power for deploying Staff Nurses, Matrons, Group-D staff and contractual employees of this hospital, who are being exploited by her as the railway authorities are silent about the corruption. Though, transfer order of ANO was earlier issued by the railway administration, she managed to cancel the same with consent of higher officials of East Coast Zone, as a result corruption is increasing in the hospital.
There are pathology, ultrasound, X-ray units in the Central Hospital, but there are no skilled staff, pathologists, pharmacists to operate these equipment efficiently; resulting in poor service by the Central Hospital. Besides, there are many complaints of supply of inferior quality medicines to all category of patients, payment of salaries to HVS doctors, who are not attending duties and poor maintenance of machineries, he said. '
The poor-employees especially the lower grade staff are running pillar to post for their referral treatment to other hospitals. The present Medical Director of Central Hospital is not properly redressing the grievances of the poor lower grade employees and many staffs are being harassed for getting proper treatment in time by the ECoR management.
Sabat demanded remedial measures for immediate transfer of the Deputy CMD and ANO from the hospital to curb corruption and also to improve the healthcare services for all categories of employees of the East Coast Zone.