Sambalpur: Vimsar’s Alarming State; Patients’ Families Forced to Sleep on Streets as Hospital Fails to Provide Shelter
Overcrowding at Neonatal Care Unit
A heartbreaking scene unfolds at Vimsar in Burla, with patients’ relatives forced to set up makeshift camps on the streets. The distressing situation arose after a newborn from the Sundargarh district, who was suffering from severe health problems, was transferred to Vimsar’s Special Neonatal Care Unit. The infant, who has been in the SNCU for seven days, is gradually improving. Ishwar Kishan, the baby’s father, traveled from Kundukela village with his wife and a relative, only to discover that there was no shelter at the hospital. They, like many others, have taken to the streets, laying out plastic sheets to rest.
Struggles of the Displaced Families
Ishwar’s story isn’t unique. Many families with critically ill newborns admitted to the SNCU have had no choice but to camp out on the streets. The area in front of the SNCU, as well as the pathways to the maternity and gynecology wards, have been used as makeshift shelters. Families lay on the hard ground, attempting to create some semblance of comfort with whatever they could find.
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Persistent Neglect Despite Years of Complaints
This grim reality has endured for years, with little to no intervention from authorities. Despite numerous complaints from affected families, neither the BHIMSAR management nor the state government have provided adequate facilities for patients’ relatives. The hospital still serves not only the ten districts of western Odisha but also the border regions of neighboring Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, and remains overburdened. The large influx of patients has left their families in a desperate situation, forced to sleep wherever they can find space.
Apathy from Authorities
The lack of adequate resting facilities for patients’ families has caused significant hardships. Officials or ministers forcibly remove families from their makeshift camps when visiting the hospital. The families return after the visit is completed. Instead of addressing the root cause of the problem, hospital administrators continue to ignore the plight of these vulnerable individuals.
Urgent Need for Solutions
The situation at Vimsar requires immediate action. With patients’ relatives enduring such harsh conditions, there is an urgent need for the hospital administration and the government to provide adequate accommodation and facilities. The ongoing neglect exacerbates the suffering of families who are already dealing with the stress of caring for a critically ill loved one.
