Bhubaneswar/Cuttack: A severe shortage of beds in the trauma and emergency units of SCB Medical College and Hospital is forcing patients to seek treatment at private facilities. Around 1 am on Tuesday, a 20-year-old female student of a higher education institution run by the Centre, who had been diagnosed of typhoid, allegedly failed to secure a bed at SCB’s non-trauma casualty ward and had to be shifted to a private hospital. The student had high fever and chills, and her friends were worried about her condition after Dhenkanal district headquarters hospital referred her to SCB. They alleged that they did not receive help despite an assurance from the hospital’s medical superintendent.Similarly, a 58-year-old patient from Kendrapada, who arrived at the hospital’s trauma casualty/emergency ward on Monday night with serious health complications, allegedly had to wait for around 30 minutes in a long queue before being examined. The family was later told that no bed was available for admission, forcing them to look for a private hospital.The patient, Ramesh Chandra Das, was brought to the emergency ward around 11.30pm with suspected acute neurological complications. “We brought him here hoping he would get immediate treatment, but in vain. After the check-up, we were told that no bed was available for admission. We were left with no option but to search for a private hospital despite his serious condition,” said Suresh Chandra Das, the patient’s attendant.The family alleged that the delay and unavailability of a bed added to their difficulties at a time when the patient required urgent medical care. The incident has raised concerns over the management of patient rush and availability of beds at the trauma emergency ward, particularly during night hours.Hospital sources said both trauma and non-trauma casualty wards are routinely overcrowded, receiving two to three times their bed capacity and leaving attendants with little option but to turn to private hospitals for urgent care. “Accountability should be fixed on the hospital authorities. They should find out ways to handle the situation. People should not suffer for the problems faced by the hospital,” said Dr Sudhansu Sekhar Mishra, former medical superintendent of SCB MCH.SCB MCH medical superintendent Dr Jyotish Chandra Choudhury said they are trying to help everyone who comes to the hospital. “This problem will be solved after the ongoing construction of hospital buildings is completed. We will increase the trauma and non-trauma beds after the buildings are ready for use. Shortage of manpower is also a problem in the hospital,” he added.
