The Times Of India | CUTTACK, Binita Jaiswal | TNN | Dec 15, 2015, 08.17 AM IST
TTACK: The state’s lone government-run cancer hospital, Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre (AHRCC) here, has been functioning without an intensive care unit (ICU) since its inception in 1981.
In the last 34 years, a lot of development activities have taken place in the hospital and crores of rupees have been spent for construction of buildings. But it’s shocking that the authorities never felt the need of an ICU, said a doctor requesting anonymity.
The inordinate delay in setting up the ICU has not only irked the patients and denizens but also evoked concern by the Orissa high court.
While hearing a petition highlighting problems of the AHRCC, the court six months ago had directed the hospital authorities to make the ICU functional at the earliest. “Despite the court’s order, ICU is yet to be se up at the AHRCC. This shows the negligent attitude of the authorities,” said Khirod Rout, a lawyer.
For the 281-bed hospital, which witnesses a footfall of over 30,000 patients annually, an ICU is an urgent requirement, said the doctor. In absence of the facility, patients are suffering a lot
Hospital sources said a special ICU unit has been earmarked and even some equipment have also been procured for it. But due to shortage of staff, the authorities are unable to make the unit functional.
“It’s really strange that we are running an advanced cancer hospital without an ICU,” said another doctor of AHRCC. On an average four major and five minor surgeries are conducted at the AHRCC on any given day but without the ICU, the patients are directly shifted from the operation theatre to the wards. “We sometimes advise the critical patients to shift to any private hospital for better care,” added the doctor.
