Bhubaneswar: About 2000 private hospitals and clinics across Odisha remained closed on Friday following a 24-hour bandh call given by the All Odisha Private Medical Establishment Forum.
In addition to about 1780 private hospitals, all diagnostic centres, physiotherapy and radio therapy centres in Odisha also remained closed in support of the bandh called by the Forum which began at 6 am.
The Forum, however, said health service would be only provided to the patients admitted to the private hospitals.
Alleging deliberate harassment of the private hospitals by the Odisha government, the Forum has said under the Clinical Establishments (Control and Regulation) Rules, 2017, the state government is neither registering the new private hospitals nor renewing the license of the old private hospitals.
It has said though the matter has been taken up with the state government since 2014, no step has been taken till date.
The Forum has urged the state government to take immediate step for the registration and renewal of license of the private hospitals which have been pending since 2014 and allow all doctors of the private hospitals to discharge their duties efficiently.
It has also warned the state government to fulfill its demand within a month failing which all private hospitals and clinical establishments would remain closed indefinitely.
Talking to the media, Forum advisor Gadadhar Sarangi said the state government should amend the Clinical Establishments (Control and Regulation) Rules and mention the requirements for registration and renewal of license to be met by the private hospitals. “But if we shut down the private hospitals whose license has not been renewed since 2002, how will the people get the services?”
Meanwhile, the Health department has taken adequate measures to provide health services to the patients. All government hospitals in the state have been asked to ensure proper treatment of the patients. The state government has cancelled the leave of all doctors and employees of the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. Besides, more para-medical staff and doctors have been engaged in the Casualty, Trauma Care and Gynecology departments.
“As more patients from the private hospitals are expected to be shifted to the SCB Hospital, the medical superintendent and the hospital administration has alerted all the doctors and staff to provide emergency treatment to these patients on priority,” Dr Bhubanananda Maharana, Emergency Officer of the medical college told media persons here.
