Rosemary Soudamini Memorial patients’ attendants’ home on the campus of Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 25: A charity initiative that began in 2004 on the campus of Capital Hospital here has now turned into a major source of support for poor and needy patients.

The Rosemary-Soudamini Memorial Trust, originally operating only a patients’ attendants’ home, has now started providing free medicines to poor patients, transport facility to the nearest referral centre, i.e. SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, and even free computerised tomography (CT) scan for complicated diagnostic needs.

The attendants’ home has one dormitory of eight beds. There are also eight separate rooms. While Rs 5 (per person) is charged for a bed at the dormitory, the separate rooms are available for Rs 50 per person. However, if a person belongs to below poverty line (BPL) category, then the room charge is Rs 25.

“Capital Hospital caters to the healthcare needs of many people from districts such as Khurda, Puri, Cuttack, Nayagarh and Jagatsingpur. Most of them belong to lower income groups and the BPL category. But in many instances we have seen attendants staying with patients inside the wards. We have asked them to shun this habit and stay at the patients’ attendants’ home instead. This would ensure that the wards look organised and there is discipline inside,” said chief medical officer Nirmala Dei.

“The Trust also had other options to help the poor patients, but the previous authorities were perhaps unaware of those. So, the money was lying idle. Now, the Trust is spending about Rs 2.5 lakh a year on the patients, which includes the cost of providing them with free medicines, transport to referral hospitals and diagnostic processes,” said an official.

Ganeswar Nayak, a student of Industrial Training Institute, Barbil, who is at the Capital Hospital with a patient, is now staying at the patients’ attendants’ home.

“This is my second trip to Bhubaneswar with a patient. I have found that the facilities at the patients’ attendants’ home are pretty good and price-friendly. More people should use the patients’ attendants’ home to reduce congestion at the hospital. Most of the time the home is full of attendants. So, if the Trust increases the number of rooms and dormitory beds then more people would benefit from the facility,” said Nayak.

S.N. Swain, deputy medical superintendent of Capital Hospital, said: “The Trust is also helping us in procuring free medicines for BPL patients. Similarly, for transportation of critical patients to SCB Medical and Hospital, Cuttack, monetary assistance is provided to hire an ambulance.”