BHUBANESWAR: Puri MP Sambit Patra on Monday urged the Centre to establish a dedicated burn unit and super specialty unit at Shri Jagannath Medical College and Hospital in Puri. He raised this issue during the Lok Sabha’s zero hour.
While presenting his demand to the health and family welfare ministry, Patra mentioned that Puri receives lakhs of devotees during festivals like Rath Yatra, and they require proper medical attention in case of any health-related emergencies.
On May 29 this year, as many as 17 people died and several others sustained injuries in Puri due to a cracker explosion. The tragedy occurred at Narendra pond near the Jagannath Temple during the annual Chandan Yatra festival.
“One of the major reasons behind the deaths was the lack of a dedicated burn unit in Puri. The hospital in Bhubaneswar that has this facility is situated around 70km from Puri. Several people are still undergoing treatment at different hospitals,” said Patra.
He appealed to the ministry to pay heed to his demands. “The Centre had sanctioned funds for the Shri Jagannath Medical College and Hospital at Puri, which has a 308-bed hospital. I request the ministry to open a dedicated burn unit along with a super specialty unit,” he added.
Patra emphasized that Puri is not an ordinary place. “If a devotee gets a heart attack, he/she needs immediate treatment. The golden period of a few hours is important. A super specialty unit will come to the rescue of the patient,” he added.
The explosion occurred after a firecracker fell on a huge cache of illegally stored firecrackers near Narendra pond, where hundreds of people had gathered to watch the Chandan Yatra. As there was no burn unit available in Puri, patients were taken to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, and other hospitals for treatment.