The advocates’ committee, constituted by the Orissa High Court to inspect the quality of health service provided at state-run SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack city, has found that patients admitted at burn and new-born care units are exposed to risk of infection due to space constraint in the burn unit.
Head of Department Biswajit Mishra has stated that there is every possibility of infections to the burn patients and that every patient needs to be kept in isolated cabins. There is a shortfall of vital manpower like nursing officers and dressers, the Committee quoting HoDs’ version, informed the court in its fact-finding report.
The unit is functioning in a small space and it has 9 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds. It is worthy to mention that out of nine beds, one bed has been arranged in the cabin structure and in another room, five beds are there and the rest are in the space only. For nine beds, only one dresser is working and there is a need for more four dressers, the report pointed out.
Further, at night, only one nursing officer is managing the unit. It is also ascertained that for want of necessary equipment and machineries, communication has been made but no such equipment and machineries have been provided to the department, it said.
The Advocates’ Committee also suggested that the burn patients need to be dressed at least four times a day taking into consideration the condition of patients and percentage of burn. In such an event, since there is moderate space between the beds where five numbers of beds were placed, those beds can be separated by fixing ply walls and glass fitting. Further without any delay, three numbers of dressers should be appointed on an urgent basis.
The committee also detected space shortage, inadequate manpower besides scarce availability of machinery at the Special Newborn Care Unit of the premiere government medical college hospital.
Due to shortage of space and lack of sufficient manpower and machinery, two new born babies were kept in a single tray for investigation and observation, it said.
There is no facility of ICU after operation and immediately after birth of a baby, the baby is supposed to be kept at the ICU. But it was found that in two different adjacent rooms designated as Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU)-II, Neonatal Care Unit-I and High Risk Ward, the new born babies were kept and some of the equipment were placed outside the available place in a glass house.
It is further stated that despite multiple requests by the Gynaecology Department to the authorities concerned, no such action has been taken for providing space, sufficient manpower, machineries and equipment.