VSS Medical College and Hospital in Burla

Sambalpur, July 21: The Western Odisha Dalit Surkshya Samiti has threatened to protest against V.S.S. Medical College and Hospital’s decision to spend money from the “users’ fund” to provide more private security guards in the complex. The fund is collected from the patients for the welfare of patients.

The students of the V.S.S. Medical College and Hospital were on cease work following a tussle between a postgraduate medical student and local BJD leaders.

One of the demands of the medical students was to get proper security. The director of medical education and training had discussed the matter with students and assured them that the security of the hospital would be enhanced.

The authorities have mooted a proposal to deploy private security guards. And the users’ fund, which is collected from the patients for different tests in the hospital will be utilised for the deployment of private security guards.

“Fees for different medical tests are collected by the Rogi Kalyan Samiti in V.S.S. Medical College and Hospital which is deposited as the users’ fund. The collected fees should be spent on providing better health facility to the patients. There are lots of machines lying defunct in the hospital. The authority has never thought of replacing the machines or even repairing these machines.

They should spend the users’ fund in purchasing the equipment. Instead of spending money judiciously, now the plan is to deploy 132 security guards, and the users’ fund will be utilised for this deployment,” said Nihal Singh, chairman of Western Odisha Dalit Surakshya Parishad.

“The machines are lying defunct but the hospital authority has bought air conditions, moving chairs and other luxury items for the doctors. Now more then Rs 6 lakh will be spent every month on the deployment of private security guards from the users’ fund. We are not opposed to the enhancement of security for the doctors. But the government should grant separate fund for this purpose.

The users’ fund should be spent on the patients’ welfare only. Moreover, an information centre in the hospital campus is essential. But the authority has not thought about it. We have discussed the matter with revenue divisional commissioner in Sambalpur,” said Nihal Singh adding that, “If the authority proceeded with the move, we will be compelled to resort to agitation.”

Gunasagar Das, superintendent of V.S.S. Medical College and Hospital said, “In Cuttack and Berhampur medical college and hospitals, the private security guards are being paid from the users’ fund. And we have a similar kind of proposal to use the users’ fund to deploy private security guards. However, the proposal is yet to get approved from the revenue divisional commissioner and the government.”