The Sub Divisional Hospital (SDH) here is a referral hospital, on which people of around 4-5 blocks depend. But facilities available here are of below par, while patients have to face harassments at various levels.
The patients are forced to do all kinds of medical tests at private patho labs at hefty fees regardless of their financial strength.
In 2012, after RKS meeting, the SDMO Talcher had requested Sub Collector to provide a Complete Blood Count (CBC) machine and an ultra sound machine for the hospital so that patients can avail the benefit at far cheaper rate. Benefits of CBC machine is patients can get blood test reports at just Rs 50-Rs100.
Similarly, through ultra sound machine, a pregnant lady can do various tests just for a nominal cost of Rs 100-Rs 200. But private patho labs charge much more for these tests.
The Sub Collector had requested MCl authorities to provide these machines under CSR, but it’s unfortunate that since 2013 the whole process is stopped. Information received under RTI Act, clearly shows authorities have not taken any concrete step for procurement of these machines since 2013. File is pending at MCl headquarters since 2013 and neither the SDMO nor the local administration is interested to expedite the process.
Sources revealed that the hospital authorities don’t want it either because it would hamper their interest. It is alleged that the private patho labs share a certain percentage of their income with the doctors and other authorities.
Soochana Kranti – a citizen’s helpline forum, earlier brought serious allegations against SDH Talcher and given petition to Health Secretary Arti Ahuja. Meanwhile, its activists held a hunger strike in Sub Collector office campus at on October 21 last demanding procurement of the two machines for the SDH. Debaranjan Samal, Jiban Jyoti Garnaik, Deba Prasad Sahoo, Jyotiranjan Panda, Rangadhar Nahak, Vivekananda Routray, Jitendra Das, lalit Ballava Rout, Soubhagya Nayak, among others participated. After the Sub Collector assured that within 15 days funds will be sanctioned, the activists called off the stir.