Patients being carried by attendants physically and on stretcher due to lack of stretcher-bearers at SCB Medical College and Hospital. Pictures by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, July 31: Authorities of S.C.B Medical College and Hospital have decided to step on the accelerator to race fast the problem arising out of shortage of stretcher-bearers.

Come September and eco-friendly cars are likely to be launched at the state-run S.C.B Medical College and Hospital to carry patients from one department to another.

At present, the hospital is facing shortage of stretcher-bearers, which had led to attendants of patients carrying the ill from one department to another. The attendants are often found carrying their patients using stretchers themselves.

“Many attendants are facing problems in carrying their patients on the hospital premises. At times, the attendants have to physically carry their patients especially to the orthopaedic department. We are unable to provide service to all, as there is staff shortage,” said a stretcher-bearer, who wished not to be named.

“We have to request the stretcher-bearers to help carry our patients. However, we hope that things will improve after the new service is launched,” said Santosh Biswal, an attendant from Jagatsinghpur.

“The tender process for launching the battery-operated cars to facilitate transportation of the patients has already been finalised and we hope that the new facility will be made operational by mid-September,” said S.C.B. superintendent D.N. Moharana.

Two eco-friendly vehicles will start its operation on an experimental basis in August. The hospital will pay around Rs 90,000 per vehicle annually for the service.

The private company — We Care — would subsequently be awarded the contract for launching the new service following an inspection during launching of the cars on an experimental basis soon, Moharana said.

The new transportation facility will be outsourced and the private player will be responsible to appoint the required number of personnel, including the stretcher-bearers. Similarly, the service cost is likely to be fixed soon.

According to the S.C.B. officials, there has been a lot of infrastructural development and a number of new specialised buildings for medicine and other departments have also come up keeping in view the patients turnout.

Apart from launching the battery-operated vehicles, there is also a proposal to set up a multi-storeyed building for the attendants. Sources said the attendants from far off places would be provided with accommodation and food at an affordable cost.

Spread over 87.32 acres, the hospital is a pioneer medical institution in eastern India in medical teaching, research and patient care.