The special care unit at the Balasore district headquarters hospital. Telegraph picture

Balasore, Nov. 17: The district headquarters hospital here has taken steps to resume the functioning of a defunct special critical care unit. It is expected to start operating shortly.

The unit, technically known as, the high-dependency unit, was lying inoperative for more than two years.

Inaugurated in May 2011, it couldn’t be made operational mainly due to want of specialised doctors and allied manpower.

The hospital authorities are planning to relaunch the unit next month.

“We couldn’t run the special care unit due to lack of adequate manpower although it was inaugurated two years ago. Now, we will have three dedicated doctors and other staff for it,” said chief district medical officer Anup Ghosh.

“The state government has directed us to make the unit operative. The expenses on salaries and maintenance of the unit would be met from the National Rural Health Mission funds,” he said.

The unit will have three doctors, six staff nurses, one matron and a technician.

The six-bed unit will be in operation by first week of December, said hospital sources.

The unit will take care of patients who require special emergency care.

“Two trained doctors have already been selected and the posting of another doctor is being processed. We couldn’t appoint the third doctor since the code of conduct for urban local bodies was in force and then the flood struck,” said additional district medical officer Sasanka Sekhar Choudhary.

“On an average, five to seven patients with cardiac ailments are admitted to the hospital on a daily basis. They could be accommodated in the special-care unit. Other emergency cases can also be treated here,” he said.

District project manager T. Narayan Rao said the want of a specialised doctor has delayed the functioning of the unit.

The special healthcare unit was set up at a cost of Rs 40 lakh over six years from contributions made by industrial houses of the district and the Peripheral Development Society.

The unit now has two ventilators, monitors and oxygen supply equipment, said hospital manager Sriram Mohanty.

“Work is on in full swing,” he said .

Besides Balasore, patients from neighbouring Bengal also depend on the district headquarters hospital.