Fate of Capital Hospital dialysis unit uncertain

All attempts by the Capital Hospital authorities here to retain the stand-in doctor who managed the dialysis unit in the hospital have failed. In the absence of a permanent nephrologist, the fate of the unit at the hospital becomes is now uncertain.According to Director of the hospital Biswa Bhusan Patnaik, Dr Ashok Panda, who ran the unit, has applied for voluntary retirement from his job as he was peeved over the Government not recognising him as a nephrologist even though he had completed the course. Attempts to persuade him to continue have failed.

Dr Panda, however, cited personal reasons for his decision to quit and refuted charges that he was reluctant to run the dialysis unit.He has reportedly said he applied for voluntary retirement long back and only reminded the hospital authorities about it on June 23. The reason for his resignation is purely personal. Since he had applied earlier; the formalities of the voluntary retirement procedure are already on. The final call on his retirement will be taken on the basis of existing rules.

As per information provided by the hospital authorities, the hospital never had a dedicated nephrologist. After Dr Panda is relieved, the unit will be closed, to be reopened only after a new nephrologist is appointed.Notably, the dialysis unit was repaired after repeated media reports after remaining closed for long. Hundreds of patients are diverted to a specific private hospital due to the lack of a functional dialysis unit here, but the Health Department did not care.