The state government has revealed plans to develop Capital Hospital into a full-fledged medical education institute on the lines of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh. How is it coming along?

The process has started. A budget of Rs 82 crore has been chalked out for developing infrastructure. The institute would have seven specialty disciplines along with opening of new departments in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, community medicine, pathology, radiology, microbiology and biochemistry. Faculty and paramedical posts would also be created.

It has been noticed that several patients at the hospital do not get beds and are treated on the floor. How do you plan to improve the scenario?

There is a huge inflow of patients to the hospital. Every day, we get 1,800 outdoor patients and 700-odd indoor patients, though we have just 552 beds. Naturally, the beds are not sufficient. But, there are plans to add 100 beds to the obstetrics and gynaecology unit to cater to delivery patients.

Repeated incidents of ceiling fans falling on patients have raised questions over the quality of patient care and safety at your hospital. The latest incident took place on November 25. What are you doing about it?

What happened that day was an accident, no less. But, hospital authorities alone should not be blamed. The general electricity department has been assigned the task of checking the fans, which are very old. Unfortunately, the one that fell did not have any problem. It was the iron handle that broke off leading to the fall. So, it was merely an accident, a bad one. So far, inspection of 270-odd fans has been done and we are reviewing patients’ safety very seriously.

Capital Hospital has highly qualified doctors and yet we see it referring many of its patients to other hospitals, including the private ones. Is it because they do not want to take risks?

That is not the case. Our shortcoming is that we don’t have enough sophisticated equipment. If we receive a patient with brain injuries, we will have no option, but to refer him to SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, or other places because we do not have neurologists. No doctor will ever refer patients deliberately to another hospital.

How would you respond to allegations of government doctors indulging in private practice?

There is no ban on private practice. However, there is a problem if a government doctor does it during his duty hours.

You were a full-time doctor but after becoming the director of Capital Hospital, you have to devote yourself entirely to administrative work. How does it feel losing direct touch with patients?

Administration here is a huge challenge. Everyday, people come to me with long lists of complaints and grievances. So, as hospital director, I am responsible for overall patient care. However, after my retirement, I will continue medical practice. I was born to be a doctor and will die as one.

Do you favour opening of private medical colleges?

I don’t see any problem with it. More the doctors, the better it is for our state. However, the focus has to be on quality education and to fulfil all criteria of Medical Council of India.

Do you think private colleges are producing quality doctors?

If a medical student is committed to excel in his chosen field, none can stop him. It doesn’t matter if he has passed from a government or private college.

You have spent the better part of your career in the interior parts of the state. Why do you think doctors of today are reluctant to serve in remote, rural areas, especially the Koraput-Balangir-Kalahandi region?

That is because of growing opportunities in the town areas. There is a mushrooming of nursing homes. The pay package in the private sector is much more attractive. That is why they hesitate to go to rural areas. I see this as a generational change.

What would be your advice to those doctors?

When the government is spending so much to make them doctors, it is their duty to serve patients in areas that utterly lack medical facilities, at least for five years. That will open their eyes to the world.

Cleanliness has been a major problem at Capital Hospital. We see betel stains on the walls and corridors being littered. What is being done about it?

There has been a lot of improvement in hygiene standards over the years. State health officers and the revenue divisional commissioner (central) have also expressed their satisfaction in this regard. We have outsourced the cleaning work to a private party, which is charging Rs 5.60 per bed daily. But, the key lies in mindset change. People should make conscious efforts to maintain cleanliness in the hospital.

Theft incidents, especially in case of motorcycles, are also on the rise at the hospital…

That is not our lookout. Complaints can be registered with the police outpost on the campus. However, people must be careful about their belongings. They should not park their vehicles randomly. There is a designated cycle stand that they can use.

Man behind the stethoscope

Soft-spoken and perceptive, Sudhir Chandra Mallick is the present director of the government-run Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar.

He has about four decades of experience as a gynaecologist.

Born in Bahalda, a remote village in Mayurbhanj district, Mallick completed his matriculation from a high school in Champua block of Keonjhar district.

He then moved to Bhubaneswar to do his intermediate studies from BJB College. He pursued his medical degree from MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur, and graduated in 1976.

His first posting was at a primary health centre at non-descript Gudubhela village in Balangir. He has served in many remote and rural pockets of the state in the districts of Boudh, Kandhamal and Mayurbhanj, Boudh. He was also the president of the officers’ club in Kandhamal in Boudh.

Mallick likes to read and watch cricket in his leisure.

What would you have been had you not been A DOCTOR?

I cannot think of any other vocation.

Since my childhood, I had been nurturing the ambition of becoming a doctor. During my time, doctor and engineer were the two most sought-after professions. But my aspirations were not based on the trend. It had more to do with my inclination to serve people, especially those in distress.

So, I focussed all my energy to grow up as a doctor. If I had to pick an alternative career option, I think I would have wanted to become an administrative officer.