By paying high salary from the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) fund, the district administration, Keonjhar, has hired doctors in the Government Hospital ,Joda to provide treatment to the mining affected people but ironically the very purpose is hardly met.
Instead of being a quality health centre, the hospital has rather been a rehabilitation center for retired doctors.
This came to light on Monday night when a new born baby died on the road due to lack of medical treatment which reveals the poor health system in the mining belt from where the Government is collecting highest revenue. Sources revealed that on Monday afternoon, one Sukumurty Purty (16), a pregnant woman of Jalahari GP under Joda block and Bamebari police station, had taken admission in the Joda Government Hospital for delivery of her baby.
In the initial stage everything was fine and it was expected that there would be a normal delivery but as the time passed and Dr Sisira Pattnaik , Gynocologist, couldn't be available for treating the patient, her pain grew acute and at last the medical staff advised that the patient be shifted to outside.
But Kailash Naik, husband of the poor pregnant woman preferred to go to a local private hospital on the ground that the patient might not reach at the District Headquarters Hospital, Keonjhar or Sub Dvisional Hospital , Champua due to traffic problem caused by thousands of iron loaded trucks on NH- 520.However, the Joda medical authority rejected his request saying that as per rule, the 108 /102 ambulance service could not be provided for shifting the patient to a private hospital.
Kailash finally hired an autorickshaw to reach at the private hospital. However, there the pregnant woman tested positive for Covid 19.Sources close to the private hospital said that out of the total two Gynocologists there, one was in quarantine and another who had just recovered from the Covid 19 was not feeling well. Before taking further decision, Kailash was taking his wife back to home when she gave birth to a baby on road. The baby, however, couldn't be saved for lack of medical treatment.Following the incident, there was much uproar among the locals who alleged continuious apathy from the hospital authorities.Notably, Dr Sisira Pattnaik gets a salary of Rs 1,60,000 per month from the DMF.
While the number of total doctors in the Joda Hospital is eight, four are regular doctors appointed by the OPSC and other three are retired doctors appointed by the distinct administation who get salary from the DMF.
It was said that Dr Pattanaik was on leave that night for which he could not attend the patient. But the question is should the administration wash its hand off by taking such plea? Kailash Naik's case is just a tip of the ice berg. True empathy, proper care and health services are still a far cry in the mining belt.