The recent heavy rains in Odisha have revealed serious deficiencies in the state’s healthcare infrastructure. The Patnagarh government hospital in Balangir district faced severe flooding, with rainwater penetrating directly into wards and patient rooms. This resulted in distressing conditions for patients and their families, as water reached their beds.
The flooding at this critical healthcare facility underscores the failures of the administration. The images and videos from the hospital clearly show the extent of the flooding, and how it has affected patient movement and care. The drainage system was completely overwhelmed. The failure to maintain the drains led to water accumulating inside the hospital buildings instead of being diverted.
The hospital is situated within the constituency of Odisha’s Deputy Chief Minister, Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo. Despite this, the hospital is in this condition. This situation raises questions about the government and the hospital administration’s commitment to ensuring patient safety. Local residents have criticized the lack of preparedness, stating that proactive measures could have prevented this crisis.
There was no evidence of a robust water drainage system during the heavy rainfall. A few sanitation workers attempted to remove the water using wipers and buckets. Many patients were forced to move out of their wards and into the verandas. The safety and security in the verandas were also not adequate.
Patients and their families are expressing their anger and frustration. Patients report they are more focused on staying dry rather than on their treatment. The families blame the hospital’s negligence and that they are suffering due to no fault of their own. They also reported that there was no dry place to even stand.
With the monsoon season expected to continue, the situation could worsen without immediate action. The public is demanding immediate improvements to hospital infrastructure, the cleaning of drains and the implementation of a water removal system. The state of the Patnagarh hospital has highlighted the problems with the local healthcare services and the administrative failures in the Deputy Chief Minister’s constituency.