Cancer patients add to Vimsar load
Sambalpur: The availability of public transport, particularly over long distances, remains uncertain across the state. For several cancer patients in western Odisha, this has meant that their options in terms of hospitals have reduced.
Many cancer patients have now started coming to Vimsar in Burla, increasing the workload of the hospital’s radiotherapy department.
Doctors of Vimsar’s radiotherapy department said they would usually see around 60 to 70 new cancer patients every month. Now, that figure has doubled. In the past two months, the department has seen as many as 326 new cancer patients.
“Many patients who were undergoing treatment at Tata Memorial Hospital, Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre and private hospitals in Bhubaneswar and Visakhapatnam are now coming to Vimsar,” said assistant professor of the department, Biswaranjan Routray.
The radiotherapy department has 30 beds for indoor patients. Currently, more than 60 patients are admitted in that section. “Many patients are forced to avail themselves of treatment on the floor. We have only 10 beds in the department for chemotherapy,” said Routray, adding that the hospital was not turning back patients in spite of a shortage of medical staff and beds.
At present, the radiotherapy department has only two doctors, including the head of the department, and an assistant professor. No action has been taken on the department’s request for the appointment of at least two senior residents.