HC seeks govt response on lawyers’ panel highlighting lapses at SCB

Cuttack: Orissa high court has sought clarification from the govt on lapses highlighted by an advocates’ committee report regarding patient care, space constraints and manpower shortage at SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) in Cuttack.A division bench of Justice S K Sahoo and Justice V Narasingh, while hearing issues related to the hospital recently, took note of the committee’s Oct 23 report which painted a dismal picture of conditions across various departments.In its order the same day, the bench directed the state counsel to obtain instructions on the issues and posted the matter for hearing on Nov 13. The committee, which includes high court bar association president Manoj Mishra, secretary Avijit Patnaik, advocates representing each ward in the city along with amicus curiae Bijay Dash, was constituted to assist the court in dealing with issues relating to civic and other issues in Cuttack.In the burn unit, the committee found that “it is functioning in a small space and has 9 ICU beds.” The report warned of “every possibility of infections to burn patients,” with only one dresser working for nine beds and a lone nurse managing the ward at night.The committee suggested that “beds can be separated by fixing ply walls and glass fitting”, and that “three dressers should be appointed on an urgent basis.”The neonatal care unit is equally overburdened. The report noted that “two newborn babies were kept in a single tray for investigation and observation” due to severe space shortage and lack of equipment.

It stated that “despite multiple requests by the gynaecology department to the concerned authority, no action has been taken,” calling for “immediate steps” to provide adequate infrastructure and manpower.Conditions were even worse in the bone marrow transplant unit, the committee observed, where “patients were placed on the floor and their treatment was going on by providing saline injections on the floor only.” The committee urged appropriate action to be taken to provide holistic support to the patients and their attendants so that their right to health and life to live with dignity is maintained.