After a spurt of infant deaths at the Sishu Bhawan in Cuttack and the subsequent public anger, the State Government has transferred two doctors from the newborn care unit of the MKCG Medical College Hospital to the Sishu Bhawan causing public discontent among the denizens here.
BJP leader and former Assembly Deputy Speaker Rama Chandra Panda in a letter to Principal Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department Arati Ahuja on Friday said that the news of increasing infant deaths in special new-born care unit (SNCU) of MKCG has terribly scared the public in general, as the unit suffers from many deficiencies such as lack of ICU, portable X-Ray machine, central oxygen supply system and pulse ox-meters which are essential to maintain standard and quality health services in such referral hospitals.
Even though, more than 200 new born babies reportedly died in the Special New Born Care Unit/Ward of the MKCG during last four months, but surprisingly no official information on a tragedy of such magnitude is forthcoming, he said.
He lamented that the recent transfer of the two doctors from the SNCU ward of MKCG to Sishu Bhawan is not only totally unwarranted and unjust, but also against the public interest and demanded that the Government should roll back the transfer order keeping public perceptions in mind.
Panda pointed out that there is already an acute shortage of staff (doctors, technicians, non clinical hands) in the MKCG and half a dozen departments are having no HoDs.
While more than 50 posts of doctors in various departments are lying vacant since last couple of years, 30per cent of the required staff strength of the SNCU are yet to be filled up.
The letter further alleged that seven to eight doctors who were posted in various departments of the MKCG against vacancies created due to transfer are reportedly not attending to their work.
Notably, protesting the recent transfer of Prof Dr Dr lN Soren and Associate Professor Dr Santisena Mishra to the Sishu Bhawan, hundreds of students of MKCG are on a dharna.
