CUTTACK: Lack of infrastructure has severely hit patient care at Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre (AHRCC) here.The premier State-run hospital is the only hope for thousands of poor cancer patients. Apart from Odisha, patients from neighbouring Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal also depend on the facility.
Due to shortage of beds, cancer patients are often found lying on the floors of wards, verandahs and outside the facility. The 281-bed cancer hospital is incapable of handling more than 500 patients daily. With a rise in inflow of patients to AHRCC every year, the State Government in 2016 had initiated steps for establishing a second campus of the hospital with 100 beds.
Subsequently, the district administration identified 60 acre of land near Mundali for a proposed medical hub including the second campus of SCB Medical College and Hospital and AHRCC following which steps were taken to prepare the detailed project report (DPR). However, around six months back, the administration deviated from its plan and proposed to enter into a pact with Tata Trust for developing cancer care facilities in the State.
As per the new plan, Tata Trust would set up a comprehensive cancer care hospital of its own and develop the infrastructure at AHRCC. It was also decided to start infrastructure development work at AHRCC within three months after inspecting the existing facilities and submit a DPR of the project to the Government.
Though 15 acre of land at Ratagada under Barang tehsil has been handed over to Tata Trust for setting up the comprehensive cancer care hospital, delay in developing AHRCC infrastructure has resulted in widespread discontentment among people. Representatives of Tata Trust have already inspected the infrastructure at AHRCC and held discussion with the hospital authorities, sources said.
AHRCC Administrative Officer Rudra Narayan Dash said, “The hospital is presently functioning from six acre of land. We have availed another 2.5 acre from Industry and General Administration departments for expansion of the hospital.” He said the process of shifting 11 quarters on the hospital premises is at the final stage.