The incomplete boundary wall of the AIIMS residential campus. Picture by Ashwinee Pati Bibhuti Barik

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 28: The facility that takes care of the ill, is plagued with several civic infirmities.

The problems of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Sijua are because it is not situated within the limits of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).

If the problem of incomplete boundary wall on the residential campus was not enough, the absence of adequate lights on the approach road has added to its woes.

A senior faculty member of the hospital said: “Several attempts have been made to install street lights but they hardly work. Former chief secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra had promised to resolve the issue but the facility worked for two days before it stopped.”

Ankit Kumar Sahoo, a third-year MBBS student at AIIMS, said: “Lack of street lights on the one-kilometre stretch between the Aiginia subway under NH-5 and our institute has made life miserable for people coming here for treatment. The attendants are worst affected. We have heard that six cases of snatching took place in the last three months. The road bifurcating the residential and non-residential campuses also lacks lights.’’

Associate professor of department of community and family medicine Binod Kumar Patro said: “There have been six cases of snatching in the last three months on the AIIMS-Aiginia road. In one incident, we went to the Khandagiri police station and asked them to take action to contain such crimes.”

Lack of medicine shop on the AIIMS hospital premises is also reason for worry.

“Only certain kinds of medicines are being supplied free to BPL patients. Those who don’t belong to the category have to go to Aingina to purchase medicines even at night,’’ said a hospital employee.

Kulamani Pradhan, 60, who frequently visits the hospital for treatment, said: “Lack of street lights is a serious issue and the state government must take immediate steps.”

Ankit Kumar Sahoo, a third-year MBBS student, said: “There are two campuses — one for the hospital and administrative blocks and another for hostels and staff quarters. They are bifurcated by a road. A portion of the boundary wall on the residential premises is yet to be constructed that gives stray dogs an easy route to enter the premise.”

Sahoo also said there should be a market complex near the hospital from where the attendants, students and staff could buy their essential stuff.

Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena told The Telegraph: “The truth is that the entire Sijua area is outside the civic area. While including the Kalinga Vihar and Patrapada area within the civic body limits, the state government did not consider Sijua. Had it been included, these problem could have been addressed.”

However, he added that the civic body would take all initiatives to see that the problems are solved.

Police sources admitted that 13 snatching incidents were reported in the last six months in Ainginia and nearby areas. Khandagiri police station inspector in-charge Asim Panda said: “We are going to inform the authorities concerned to make the lights functional so that people may feel safe while using the AIIMS-Ainginia road.”