The Community Welfare Society (CWS) Hospital was started in November 2002 on an area of two acres of land at Jagda in Rourkela with fifty beds.
The hospital was inaugurated with much hope through generous contributions from many national and international benevolent donors. The poor people of Rourkela and nearby areas were highly optimistic of getting good health services at low costs.
While inaugurating the hospital the then Managing Director of Rourkela Steel Plant Dr Sanak Mishra had also expressed the hope that the hospital would become a ray of hope for the poor and needy patients.Though now the bed strength has grown thrice but it is a matter of great disappointment that the hospital has been kept away from its mission and the quality of services and number of quality doctors have also slashed, thanks to utter mismanagement of governing body. Due to this many patients scare to visit the hospital now-a-days.
Health services in the hospital have gone to dogs due to a host of problems. Instead of providing health services to poor people at subsidized rates as envisaged, the sole mission of the hospital has allegedly become how to make money in the name of healthcare.
It may be mentioned here that a signboard was put up advertising free outdoor treatment to the poor from 12.00 noon to 1.00 pm every day but the service is not available. It is alleged that the charges for various pathological tests are higher than that of private clinics. More surprisingly the Government has announced free treatment for the Corona patients but here at CWS it is chargeable. It may be noted here that the only biggest hospital in the steel city is the Ispat General Hospital which provides free medical services to RSP employees and their dependents. But it is very expensive for outsiders.
The numerous nursing homes in the city are more like commercial establishments. The only Government Hospital (RGH) is in dire straits due to lack of facilities and shortage of doctors. It is better not to discuss about the standard of health services available in Hi-tech Medical College here.
So, when the CWS Hospital was opened it brought a ray of hope to the poor people of the region. But the sorry state of affairs plaguing the hospital has become a matter of great disappointment for them.
According to reliable source the hospital has been running with only one doctor for one department and worse, the doctor attends the patients at his will once or twice in a week.
Due to the absence of doctors, relatives and attendants are compelled to shift their patients to other hospitals in a critical condition. It is further alleged that many doctors leave the hospital due to poor management and differential practices of the governing body.
It is also alleged that the unethical nexus between certain employees and top brass of the hospital to do business has led to the plaguing of the services in the hospital. Sources said an employee of the hospital luring a top brass has been supplying the surgical materials and other equipment to the central store of the hospital at high rate causing financial loss to the hospital.
Due to this the hospital has been charging more from the patients and sometimes the attendants and relative of the patients are forced to purchase items from that supplier where as they can get it at a cheaper rate from other suppliers. Similarly, due to the mismanagement, many employees are not getting the minimum wages that ultimately leads to workers resentment causing harm to health services. Similarly, during its inception it was decided to give employment opportunities to local people, but gradually the management has simply ignored the decision.
Even the local employment exchange was not consulted at the time of recruitment on many occasions. Meanwhile, the silence of the local Labour Department and employment exchange over these deviations has raised eyebrows.