Most of the specialist doctors in the ESIC Model Hospital, Rourkela, went on leave during the Durga Puja festival for enjoying vacations, leaving the patients in the lurch. The authorities in the ESIC Model Hospital are not serious about treatment of patients andsanctioned leave to a number of specialist doctors for a week, allegedthe patients.
The ESIC Model Hospital at Rourkela has reportedly the highest number of insured persons in the State availing treatment facility. It is the only Model Hospital of ESIC for Odisha and has a number of chambers of specialist doctors. But these chambers stayed locked during this Durga Puja festival because the doctors went on a week-long leave.
The ESIC runs with the contribution of insured persons (IPs) but the patients were deprived of the basic health rights for last one week because of an irresponsible administration of ESIC Model Hospital.
The IPs and their dependants had no other way than seeking treatment atprivate clinics.The IPs and their dependents regularly come to the ESIC Model Hospital, Rourkela, for getting treatment from specialist doctors as there were no local tie-up hospitals for these departments except Ispat General Hospital on emergencies only, where patients are reluctant to go. The ESIC headquarters at Delhi should be aware of the implications of their policies of no secondary care tie-ups and how IPs are suffering because of an insensitive administration posted at ESIC Model Hospital where most of the specialist doctors were sanctioned leave from Monday last, demanded some aggrieved IPs.
“I had gone to ESIC Model Hospital during this Puja festival for my check up by an Orthopedic Specialist but when I reached the hospital, I came to know that the specialist was on leave and therefore I had to return home and I had to go to a private clinic to get treatment from a Orthopedic doctor,†rued James Barla, a patient. According to sources, there are two surgeons but both were on leave for last one week in the hospital. In the Orthopedic department, there are one specialist and one junior doctor, but both were on leave. In
Medicine department, there are one specialist and three junior doctors and three doctors were on leave. Similarly, the ENT Specialist went on leave. This was the scenario since beginning of Puja vacation on
October 11 till October 16. When asked, Regional Director, ESI Corporation, Bhubaneswar, PS Panda said, “I will talk to the Medical Superintendent of ESIC Model Hospital, Rourkela on the issue. We will always try to ensure that the patients coming to ESIC Model Hospital get the best treatment without facing any difficulties.â€
