The Out Patient Department (OPD) of the Gajapati District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) here is functioning without any doctors for the last 15 months.
It is alleged that while over a hundred patients come to the hospital everyday, absence of doctors in the OPD forces them to return without getting service and fall back on private health centres.
Sources said after retirement of Gajapati CDMO Dr Sarat Chandra Mohapatra in June 2014 and even after Narendra Mohan Jena taking charge of the CDMO, the department is running empty. It needs at least two doctors to serve the outdoor patients.
“The Government is not concerned about the health service facilities in the tribal-dominated district. While crores of rupees is spent by the Government for health services, no one heeds to the problem of inadequate doctors in the district,” lamented a villager. When asked, CDMO Dr Mohan said he has informed the higher authority about the matter.