Inquiry Committee Formed After Viral Video Incident
Cuttack: SCB Medical College and Hospital has once again come under scrutiny following fresh allegations of negligence and staff misconduct inside its Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The latest claims have raised serious concerns about supervision, staffing practices, and patient safety within the critical care facility.
A whistleblower, who had earlier shared a viral video from the ICU, alleged that senior officials have been negligent while junior-level employees are left to shoulder critical responsibilities. According to him, the lack of proper oversight has created an environment where discipline and accountability are compromised.
Speaking to Odisha TV, the whistleblower claimed that senior officials often remain disengaged, allowing junior staff to manage crucial tasks. He further alleged that security personnel, attendants, and extremely junior employees behave like authorities in the ICU, attempting to dominate patients and their attendants.
He also highlighted infrastructural and operational shortcomings, pointing to a poorly lit corridor and insufficient staff presence during late-night hours. According to the allegations, monitoring between midnight and 5 am is particularly inadequate, leaving patients vulnerable.
“Not a single staff member can be found between midnight and 5 am. Patients are left to their fate. They survive only by God’s grace,” he stated, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
Earlier, Medical Dialogues had reported that the hospital came under the scanner after a video allegedly showed a female patient falling from her bed inside the ICU. The incident, which went viral on social media, triggered widespread criticism and prompted immediate administrative action.
Following the episode, hospital authorities constituted a six-member inquiry committee to investigate the matter. The panel, headed by Prof Saroj Kumar Tripathy, Head of the Department of Medicine, has been tasked with examining the circumstances leading to the patient’s fall, identifying any lapses in supervision or management, and submitting its findings for further action.
Dr Nayak, Additional Superintendent of the hospital, stated that Prof Subhendu Acharya, who was heading the ICU, has been relieved of his responsibilities, with Prof Jayant Panda taking charge of the unit. Additionally, six nursing staff members have been transferred to other departments, and two outsourced attendants who were on duty that night have also been shifted as part of the preliminary action taken by the hospital administration.
