Sanatan Behera (16), a student of Class-IX belonging to a poor farmer family of Tikhali village of Nuapada district, is unable to move due to an infectious injury in his thigh.
He developed the injury two months ago when he slipped while playing. He was admitted to the Evangelical Mission Hospital at Khariar on September 26 last, where, according to Sanatan's father Bholanath, he was treated under the supervision of Dr Nibedita, the director of the hospital.
"The problem increased after the doctor in the Evangelical Mission Hospital at Khariar did a surgery. They said that the surgery was done to set a defective vein. The infection caused due to surgery is not healing since then and my son is suffering for last two months," said Bholanath.
"My parents have spent about a lakh for the treatment but the injury is yet to be cured," said Sanatan.
Remaining absent in the school for two months has added to his mental agony.
"The doctor told after conducting check-ups including x-ray and even an ultrasound that there was a chock in the vein," revealed Bholanath.
"After the surgery and two months of treatment, when my son complained of severe pain, the doctor advised us to shift the patient to another hospital," he added. Bholanath further revealed that when Sanatan was shifted to a private hospital in Bhawanipatna, the original problem was diagnosed there to be a hairline fracture in the thigh bone. But, by that time it had developed a lot of complications.
Bholanath puts all blame on the Mission Hospital for wrong diagnosis and negligence in treatment. "When Dr Nibedita saw that my son is getting no respite from the pain, she advised us to shift him to another hospital on November 27 last," alleged Bholanath.
As advised by the orthopaedic surgeon in Bhawanipatna, Bholanath took Sanatan to another hospital in Visakhapatnam on December 6, where he was told that the cost of treatment would be more than Rs 2 lakh. "The doctor in Vishakapatnam has diagnosed severe complications in the bone, and there is no guarantee that it will heal even after the operation," said Bholanath. Not being able to arrange such a huge amount Bholanath has returned home without treating the child.
The Mission Hospital authorities, however, denied the allegation of negligence.
"We advised the parents since the beginning to shift to a better place for treatment, but they didn't. There was no sign of fracture, when he was relieved from here, that might have developed later," said Dr Nibedita to members of the Bhagat Singh Yuva Morcha of Khariar who met her in the hospital to inquire about the matter.
Bholanath, in the meanwhile, has drawn the attention of district Collector, Madhusmita Sahu, alleging negligence by the Mission Hospital authority. The CDMO, Nuapada has been advised by the Collector to conduct an inquiry. When the CDMO, Nuapada, was asked whether any inquiry has been initiated, he said that a letter has been sent to the Mission Hospital authority to furnish details of the case. "We will proceed further after getting their explanation," said the CDMO. "However, we are taking all necessary steps to send Sanatan to a hospital with better treatment facilities providing support under Odisha State Treatment Fund." added the CDMO.