Cuttack, July 10: Authorities of the SCB Medical College and Hospital here would increase the bed capacity at its existing trauma care centre.

In the first phase, 20 beds will be added to the centre, which, at present, has 21 beds, six in the intensive care unit (ICU) and three operation theatres (OTs).

Official sources said there were plans to increase the beds at the trauma care centre to 60 by the end of 2015. There are plans to set up three dedicated male wards with 12 beds each and a 14-bed female ward and four recovery or observation beds and 30-bed ICU.

The move is part of the ongoing modernisation and expansion project being carried out by the state government keeping in view the rising number of patients at SCB.

However, non-recruitment of medical officers for the ICU might create problems in the effective functioning of the trauma care in the future. Sources said that not a single ICU medical officer had been appointed against the sanctioned position of eight and doctors were managing everything, said a senior doctor requesting anonymity.

"We have already apprised the state government of the situation, and the vacant posts will be filled shortly," said Nirmal Mohapatra, who is in charge of the trauma care centre.

The addition of beds will come to the rescue of the victims of road accidents as they can be provided immediate medical services at the centre that was made operational in 2012. The trauma care centre was established with a financial assistance of Rs 11 crore, including equipment, from the central government.

Though chief minister Naveen Patnaik had inaugurated the first-of-its-kind trauma care centre at SCB in February 2011, the project then had failed to take off due to lack of manpower and infrastructure.

Apart from the care centre expansion, the authorities have also started preliminary work for modernisation of the existing casualty wing.

The new casualty wing will have dedicated rooms for doctors and nurses, X-ray and pathological investigation facilities, while the old oxygen supply pipelines will be replaced.

The existing casualty wing that used to function on the ground floor of the trauma care centre was yesterday shifted to old super-specialty outpatient department for facilitating civil work.

"Work on modernising the casualty wing will be over within the next three months," said SCB administrative officer Pratap Mishra.<>

At present, the casualty wing is registering a turnout of nearly 250 to 300 patients a day. The authorities have also decided to set up a dedicated registration counters for patients at the casualty wing that will be helpful in immediate shifting to the wards.