Trauma care centre at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, May 11: Lack of coordination between various departments of the SCB Medical College and Hospital here has put a question mark on the future of its multi-specialty trauma care centre.

A critically injured 73-year-old road accident victim was allegedly denied proper care at the hospital as he was shuttled between various departments, including those of neurosurgery and orthopaedics, for lack of coordination.

The patient, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, was provided with a bed at the orthopaedics department only after the intervention of the high court committee that visited the hospital today.

A decision is yet to be taken on whether the critically ill patient should be shifted to the neurosurgery department. The patient had been lying on the floor of the orthopaedics department after he was brought there from the casualty department last Wednesday.

“The patient was severely injured in a road mishap at Jajpur. We was initially admitted him to Badachana Hospital. From there, he was referred to SCB on May 6,” said Achuta Kumar Sahu, a social activist.

Sahu said the elderly accident victim had sustained multiple head injuries and was shifted to SCB’s neurosurgery department from the casualty section on the advice of doctors following X-rays, CT scan and other tests.

However, though the patient’s condition remained critical, he was shifted to the hospital’s orthopaedics department from the neurosurgery section without any explanation.

“The trauma care centre should be the ideal place for the treatment of the elderly road accident victim. But, lack of cooperation from the doctors of the neurosurgery department here has made the centre unable to serve patients,” said high court committee amicus curiae P.R. Dash.

The much-hyped SCB trauma care centre was inaugurated in January. Some Rs 11 crore was spent to make the centre operational. But because of the lack of doctors, attendants and absence of other facilities, including a proper ICU equipped with ventilator and other life-saving machines, the centre is unable to provide round-the-clock service.

“There has been no significant development here in terms of a proper manpower, facilities and equipment that are required for the smooth functioning of the trauma care centre. We will apprise the state government and the high court of it and ask them to take necessary measures,” Dash said.

The SCB authorities, however, have refuted the allegations of medical negligence at the trauma care centre.

“The elderly accident victim is being provided with necessary treatment at the hospital. Some emergency surgeries are also being conducted at the trauma care centre,” said SCB emergency officer B.N. Moharana.