KENDRAPADA: Shortage of beds allegedly forced at least 20 women, who had undergone sterilization, to lay on the floor of the govt-run Community Health Centre at Naugaon in Jagatsinghpur district on Thursday. As alleged video clips of women lying on the hospital floor went viral, it drew widespread criticism. “My wife and other women had to lie on the floor of the hospital for around four hours following the operation,” alleged Paresh Behera of Naugaon village. “It was really painful, but no one bothered about our plight. Even the doctors did not attend to us properly,” alleged Nirmala Jena in the video. Dr Chidananda Panda, the hospital’s medical officer, admitted to the paucity of beds but said it was due to the ongoing renovation work. Med officer: Will ensure such incidents do not recur in future Panda said, “Sterilization camp was held in the hospital on Thursday and some women lay down on the floor due to the paucity of beds as renovation work is going on in the hospital. It was a minor operation and we discharged them after some hours.” He added that he would ensure such incidents do not recur in future. “We had no idea that the hospital would be so terribly crowded and patients have to wait hours for treatment,” said Basant Mallick (54) of Bansa village, who had come to the hospital for his wife’s family planning operation. “After the operation, my wife was forced to stay in the veranda because there was no space inside the hospital,” alleged Pravat Jena of Madhupur.
