Odisha govt plans to add 78 critical care beds at Sishubhawan in Cuttack

Bhubaneswar: The govt plans to increase the critical care bed count from the existing 50 to around 128 at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics (Sishubhawan) in Cuttack within a year.This hospital is a prime healthcare institution of the state dedicated to children’s treatment. Patients from different parts of Odisha and neighbouring states come to this hospital.“The existing critical care beds are not sufficient to cater to the growing demand. If the number of PICU or NICU beds is raised, it will save lives of hundreds of children,” said Srimanta Mahanta, the attendant of a patient.M Chinnamma, relative of a patient, said she struggled to get an ICU bed at Sishubhawan last month. “Finally, I took our kid to a private hospital. If ICU beds are increased at Sishubhawan, it will help children immensely,” she added.The institute has 12 paediatric ICUs (PICUs), 12 neonatal ICUs (NICUs) and 26 high dependency units (HDUs). “The health and family welfare department has taken steps to increase the capacity at Sishubhawan. It created a big building followed by creation in posts and increase in bed strength. Now, it has decided to raise the number of critical care beds,” said Dr Pravakar Mishra, professor of paediatrics and superintendent of the institute.Mishra said a new centrally air-conditioned seven-storeyed hospital building was inaugurated by Union health minister J P Nadda on April 11 last year. After the infrastructure was created, the govt ramped up the bed strength from 422 to 846 to cater to the growing need of children being referred from different districts and neighbouring states, he added.Apart from increasing bed strength at this hospital, he said, the govt has sanctioned 59 new faculty and doctor posts in different categories at this hospital. The newly sanctioned posts included five posts of professors, 10 posts of associate professors, 18 posts of assistant professors, 24 posts of senior residents, two medical officers and one staff member each for the blood bank and drug store.“On Dec 8 last year, the govt sanctioned 556 nursing officer posts, one radiographer and seven medical laboratory technician posts, keeping the increasing beds in mind. Moreover, posts of 25 paramedics and 114 administrative staff have been created as well,” said Mishra.Earlier, minister Mukesh Mahaling said the expansion of the hospital was the largest one since the inception of the Shishubhawan in 1960.