Bhubaneswar: It’s not just SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack that has inadequate facilities for mothers and newborns, as pointed out by Orissa high court, similar shortcomings also affect two of Odisha’s premier referral hospitals — MKCG Medical College and Hospital (MKCGMCH) in Berhampur and Vimsar in Burla.While Vimsar’s obstetrics and gynaecology department does not have any intensive care unit (ICU) beds, and its new special newborn care unit (SNCU) remains non-functional, MKCG continues to face shortages of critical infrastructure and nursing staff.Patients and their attendants said they face difficulties due to the lack of ICU beds and adequate SNCU beds. “People go to private hospitals in an emergency. They cannot wait for somebody to get discharged to get a bed. Though there are central ICUs in the hospital, it is not adequate for hundreds of patients coming to the hospital,” said Nandini Bag, a patient attendant from Sambalpur.Vimsar director Dr Lalmohan Nayak said the hospital is planning to open an ICU facility in the department. “The new SNCU unit is yet to be operational as there were some fire safety issues. It will be taken care of. But we have high dependency unit (HDU),” he said, adding the hospital has 800 nursing staff against the sanctioned strength of 1,000. “But the obstetrics and gynaecology, and paediatrics departments need more nursing staff,” he said.Meanwhile, MKCG Medical College and Hospital has adequate beds in the obstetrics and gynaecology department, but it does not have any ICU beds. Acute staff shortage remains a major problem for both the paediatrics, and obstetrics and gynaecology departments. A hospital official said the paediatrics department does not have a professor. Senior doctors are being transferred to new medical colleges, leaving posts vacant. “At least nine to 10 districts of Odisha and bordering areas of Andhra Pradesh depend on the MKCGMCH. Though it has beds, manpower is not adequate to handle a huge number of patients. Recruitment of staff is the need of the hour,” said Bideshi Jena, an attendant from Ganjam.Medical superintendent of the MKCGMCH, Dr Sudipa Das, said the hospital has around 200 beds in the labour, and obstetrics and gynaecology departments, including eight in HDU. “Besides, it has adequate SNCU, NICU and paediatrics beds. We are discussing with health and family welfare department about recruitment of manpower in these two departments,” she said.
