CUTTACK: If you are in the habit of chewing pan, gutkha, or if you are a habitual smoker, then SCB Medical College and Hospital, the premier and biggest hospital of the State, is out of bound for you.

A high-level meeting of Swasthya Vikash Committee of the State under the chairmanship of central range Revenue Divisional Commissioner S.C. Mohapatra took a decision on Friday that the hospital would be declared a `no tobacco' zone.

"As part of our efforts to improve sanitation and hygiene of the hospital, we have decided to ban use of tobacco inside the hospital which will be applicable not only to visitors and attendants of patients but also to all staff, including doctors who are in the habit of consuming tobacco in any form," Mr. Mohaptra told newsmen after a review meeting of the committee.

ID cards

Concerned over the fragile security arrangements inside the hospital, the committee decided to issue passes to each attendant of patients. "Each patient will be allowed only two attendants at any given time and the entry of visitors will also be restricted," Mr. Mohapatra said. Besides, all employees, starting from doctors to Class IV, will be issued identity cards. This is to ensure restriction of unsocial elements in the hospital," he added.

Security would be strengthened in order to enforce the guidelines. The hospital planned to recruit at least 50 ex-servicemen who would replace the present private security guards. A mobile squad of the security force would be on duty round the clock to take stock of the situation. Worried over reports that agents and medicine shop owners were constantly trying to influence patients to vacate the hospital and get treatment in private clinics and nursing homes, the committee decided to install close-circuit cameras at important departments to get rid of the `dalals' and put a check on the crime inside the hospital. Mr. Mohapatra said that the hospital outdoor patient department was fully computerised and a new reception-cum-enquiry centre would come up soon.

Audit of user fee

On the crucial issue of misuse of user fee, the committee decided to appoint a private firm to conduct the concurrent audit of the fee every month. The hospital earns some Rs. 4 crores every year by collecting user fee from patients. Mr. Mohapatra said some Rs. 6 crores was deposited in the corpus fund.

"A major chunk of the user fee will be utilised towards beautification of the hospital campus. An area of 1 lakh square feet of the hospital will be developed into a garden and green zone to improve the environment. The Orissa Forest Development Corporation will take up the work," he said.

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