The Vir Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Science and Research (VSSIMSR) at Burla has stopped admission of patients in its Cardiology Department due to shortage of doctors. However, it is accepting patients with minor complicacies by making treatment arrangement for them in the Medicine Department. This shows the ill health of recently-upgraded VSSIMSR from the earlier Vir Surendra Sai Medical College Hospital. People of this western region have expressed grave concern as the VSSIMSR is the only hope for them.
As per information, the Cardiology Department caters to the needs of entire western Odisha and parts of neighbouring Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. It has one post each as Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Senior Resident and Medical Officer. But due to personal and other official reasons, Assistant Professor Dr Bijay Dash, Senior Resident Dr Sanjeev Sethi and Medical Officer Dr Ajay Rout are on leave now and only two doctors are managing the entire show of the department. It is not possible for them to attend the indoor and emergency patients.
Hence, the patients coming here are either denied admission or getting admitted in the Medicine Ward where they are not getting proper treatment. A woman from Sonepur district, Sakuntala Mishra, who had been admitted in Medicine Department with cardiac problem, died recently, alleged due to lack of proper treatment.
The two doctors, who are managing the Cardiology Department, said they have already informed the House Committee of the State Assembly about the situation and urged for appointment of more doctors. When contacted, VSSIMSR I/C Superintendent Dr BM Mishra said shortage of doctors is a perennial problem in the institution. “We are taking help of the Medicine Department to treat cardiac patients. In the worst situation, Cardiology doctors are also attending patients in the Medicine Ward,” he said. He suggested that an increase in number of doctors and opening of post-graduate studies in this department can help solve the problem.