Expressbuzz, Nov 13, 2008
BHUBANESWAR: The regional diagnostic centres (RDCs) which were established to extend affordable but quality health care services in the district headquarter towns of Baripada, Bhawanipatna, Koraput and Sundargarh are yet to become ‘fully operational’.
Not only that, equipment worth lakhs of rupees are yet to see light of the day.
Apart from the four RDCs, the city-based Capital Hospital got a similar status. Though there is an alarming rise in kidney-related diseases due to diabetic and other factors, the haemodialysis machine is still lying unused for years.
According to an RTI disclosure made by the store medical officer, the equipment is not operational for want of a ‘reverse osmosis’ plant and non-availability of trained staff. However, he has indicated that the authorities have been intimated about it and the need to instal an RO plant to enable its operation.
Strangely the machine was procured at Rs 8,60,262, whereas the RO might cost less than a lakh.
Not only this, many others like a rotary microtome (Rs 86,320), blood gas analyser (Rs 2,91,200), two TMT machines (Rs 3,45,280 each), two ultrasound machines (Rs 9,12,288 each), two X-ray machines of 500 MA (Rs 11,06,000 each) and another X-ray machine of 100 MA (Rs 2,22,000) are lying ‘unused’.
Contacted, Chief Medical Officer of Capital Hospital Dr UK Mishra said installation of the RO and training of the staff for the equipment would be made in the ‘supplementary budgetary allocation’ and the things would be ready in two months when the ICU would be functional.
The story is same with Baripada and Bhawanipatna RDCs. In the former, while the newborn incubators are not operational without ‘posting of trained technical person,’ computerised treadmill (Rs 3,45,280) is yet to be used as there is no cardiologist.
So is the case with two sets of digital EEG machines worth Rs 1,45,600 each. Two high-speed cooling centrifuges worth Rs 1,13,170 each are also lying unused.
According to the Bhawanipatna CDMO, one electrolyte analyser, rotary microtome with suitable knife and two EEG machines are lying unused due to lack of ‘trained manpower’.
According to activist TN Panda of Multi-Organ Transplantation, Human and Education Research (Mother), the facts were brought to the notice of the Health Minister several times in the past and to the Health Secretary, recently.
Contacted, Director of Health Services Dr S. Sethi said things are being studied and action would follow shortly to streamline RDCs.
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