The Aska sub-divisional hospital in Odisha’s Ganjam district has resumed outpatient, inpatient and ultrasound services after floodwaters entered the government-run facility on October 29, but its X-ray and pathology services are still not fully functional.
Medical officer Bal Gopal Behera said the hospital was affected after overnight rain linked to cyclone Arnab caused flooding inside the building. The disruption forced authorities to move patients and temporarily arrange medical services elsewhere.
Around 35 patients were shifted to the hospital’s upper floor when floodwater entered the building, Behera said. They were later transferred to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur and the sub-divisional hospital at Hinjilicut because treatment could not continue at Aska.
The hospital took about a week to remove silt and clean the premises before reopening. Labourers were engaged for the cleaning work, while plumbing and electrical repairs were also completed, according to Behera.
The outdoor department, indoor department and ultrasound unit have now started functioning. The ultrasound machine was protected from the flooding because hospital authorities moved it before the water entered the building.
The X-ray machine was damaged in the flooding and has not yet been restored. Behera said a new machine would be installed soon. The pathology unit is also yet to become fully operational, leaving patients dependent on alternative arrangements for these services until restoration work is completed.
During the hospital’s closure, medical authorities opened temporary hospitals at Niranjan Women’s College and Kendriya Vidyalaya in Aska. Each temporary facility has 10 beds and was established to continue medical services for residents while the sub-divisional hospital remained unavailable.
The reopening restores several essential services at the main facility, but the continuing disruption to diagnostic services means the hospital has not returned to full operational capacity. Patients requiring X-rays or pathology tests may still face delays or referrals until the damaged equipment and unit are restored.
A separate primary health centre at Jagamohan in Dharakote block is also yet to resume functioning, according to the medical officer. No reopening timeline for the PHC was provided in the report.
