ICU In-Charge, Nursing Officers Removed After Patient Falls Unattended In Cuttack’s SCB

Cuttack: A senior faculty member and six nursing officers of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Odisha’s Cuttack have been removed from duty over a widely circulated video purportedly showing a female patient falling from her bed inside the ICU ward of the medicine department.

Some reports indicated that Dr Subhendu Acharya has been relieved of his ICU responsibilities and three nursing officers — Bhagyabati Swain, Arijit Mallick and Sanghamitra Panda — have been transferred to other departments.

Dr Jayant Panda has been given charge of the medicine ICU.

The Health authorities ordered a probe into the incident, which reportedly took place on Sunday but came to light on Monday after the video recorded by one Mahesh Khuntia of Jajpur, whose father was also under treatment in the ICU and died, went viral on social media, raising concern about the quality of healthcare delivery system and monitoring by the doctors and staff.

The woman had allegedly consumed poison and was undergoing treatment in the ICU. In the video clip, she was seen writhing in pain following which the side railing of the bed collapsed and she fell on the floor. The incident led to public outrage with people terming it alarming since attendants are not allowed in the ICU, leaving patients completely dependent on hospital staff.

The Probe & Action

Soon after the viral video grabbed headlines, Head of the Medicine Department Saroj Kumar Tripathy convened a meeting, which was attended by ICU in-charge Dr Jayanta Panda, two associate professors, two assistant professors, a senior resident doctor, nursing officers, and other concerned staff. Statements of doctors, nursing officers, patient attendants, and security personnel who were on duty on Sunday night, were recorded.

Subsequently, a six-member committee under the Head of the Medicine Department was formed and six nursing staff, who were in charge of the ICU, were transferred to other wards following preliminary investigation during which authenticity of the video was verified, confirming clear evidence of serious mismanagement within the ICU.

Thereafter, SCB Registrar (Administration) Subas Chandra Ray issued formal orders transferring the doctor and nursing officers.

Further investigation is underway and additional measures may follow, sources added.