The advocates’ committee at SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Oct. 29: An advocates’ committee, constituted by the high court, today inquired into a recent incident in which a patient was allegedly not provided timely treatment by doctors at SCB Medical College and Hospital here.

The patient, Narottam Sahu, 17, from Jharsuguda was forced to move from one department to another but was not admitted as the doctors allegedly shifted their responsibilities on October 18.

The three-member advocate committee, including Guru Prasad Mohanty, Prabhat Ranjan Dash and Tarananda Patnaik, visited the hospital today.

The committee members discussed the matter with the medical college and hospital authorities including doctors concerned at the surgery and orthopaedics departments.

“In the last phase of inquiry today, we examined the doctors on duty and inquired as to why there was negligence in treatment,” said Patnaik.

The advocate panel was of the view that there was negligence on the part of the SCB officials as the patient was neither attended to, nor admitted for a long time.

“This is not an isolated incident as such cases occur time and again. We will certainly submit a report to the high court and recommend stern action against the guilty doctor,” Patnaik added.

The patient had sustained severe burn injuries in a mishap at his house on October 6. He was initially treated in Jharsuguda and later shifted to VSS Medical College and Hospital in Burla, where he underwent treatment for over a week.

When the wounds on Narottam’s hand did not heal, the doctors at Burla advised that he be taken to SCB, said a family member. However, they had move from one department to another and were not able to get admission till late on October 18.

“We had come to SCB Medical College and Hospital at 9am and were asked to consult doctors at the orthopaedics department who then referred us to surgery. We had failed to seek admission till 4pm, and later, the security guard at the outpatient department threw us out,” said Puspalata Sahu, sister.

Later, Narottam was admitted to the casualty ward and both his hands were amputated on October 19. He is now recuperating on bed No. 365 of the surgery department.