Odisha News Today

Bhadrak, Aug 22: Although floodwaters in the Baitarani and Salandi rivers have receded significantly upstream, several low-lying areas of Odisha’s Bhadrak district continue to remain inundated, with floodwater stagnant across farmland and several villages still cut off, a source said on Saturday.In Dhamnagar block, more than 100 hectares of farmland in Raipur, Bhatasahi, Arjunpur, Hasanabad and Sahaspur panchayats remain submerged. The floodwater has reportedly destroyed paddy crops across the affected areas.Breaches Being RepairedIn the Salandi river system, repair work is underway at several breaches after floodwaters receded.A breach measuring more than 30 feet at Rajmukundapur under Arnapal panchayat is being repaired on a war footing. A 100-foot breach at Talagopabindha and a 20-foot breach at Hatnagar have also been repaired, the source informed.In Tihidi block, floodwater receded from villages in Bodak, Baro, Kampada, Shyamsundarpur, Barasar and Gobindapur panchayats. However, vast stretches of agricultural land in these areas remain submerged.Also Read: 13.44 Lakh People Affected as Floods Hit Seven Odisha Districts; Rivers Showing Falling TrendSix Villages Cut Off In ChandbaliThe situation remains particularly difficult in Chandbali block, where eight villages in Aradi, Nandapur, Bhuinbruti, Madhapur and Nalagunda panchayats continue to remain waterlogged and rescue operations are underway.In the low-lying Nalagunda panchayat, six villages have reportedly remained inundated for the past 15 days, leaving residents cut off from the outside world.Residents are struggling with disruption to normal life as floodwaters continue to surround the villages. The situation has worsened after a second spell of flooding hit the area before people could recover from the first flood.The Fire Services department remains on alert for emergency rescue operations, while the local administration is monitoring the situation. Fire personnel have been carrying out rescue operations and shifting people to medical facilities whenever required.Schools, Anganwadi Centres ShutIn view of the prevailing flood situation, the district administration had ordered the closure of 225 Anganwadi centres and 139 schools across four blocks on Saturday.Despite the gradual fall in river levels, the continuing waterlogging in low-lying areas has left thousands of residents facing prolonged hardship, particularly those dependent on agriculture.

Puri, Aug 22: Despite the Odisha government appointing more than 5,000 doctors across the state over the past two years, the shortage of medical staff continues to affect healthcare services in Puri district, with 380 of the 556 sanctioned doctor posts lying vacant across 60 government health facilities, according to official data.The situation is particularly concerning at the Puri District Headquarters Hospital, where 87 of the 151 sanctioned doctor posts are vacant. Only 64 doctors are currently available to serve patients at the hospital.According to Assembly data, 37,54,995 patients visited the Puri District Headquarters Hospital’s OPD during 2024-25, while 36,95,422 patients received treatment. Based on the available strength of 64 doctors, the patient load works out to more than 59,000 patients per doctor annually, or around 163 patients per doctor per day.Doctor Shortage Across PuriThe shortage is not limited to the district headquarters hospital. Of the 556 sanctioned doctor posts across 60 hospitals and health facilities in Puri district, only 176 are currently filled.The number of working doctors had stood at 195 around a year ago but has since declined to 176, further widening the gap between sanctioned and available manpower.Several health facilities are facing acute shortages. All five sanctioned doctor posts at the five CHCs in Puri district are reportedly vacant. Pipili has 16 vacant posts, while Panidola has 18 and Mangalpur has 19 vacancies. Rebana Nuagaon also has several vacant positions.Puri CDMO said the government is being informed about the vacancies every month.Doctors Missing During Duty Hours?Questions have also been raised over the availability of doctors during designated working hours.A visit to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital reportedly found doctors unavailable in several departments during the second half of the day. In some places, biometric attendance machines were found switched off, while in some places, doctors were reportedly absent from their respective departments.The issue has raised questions over compliance with the biometric attendance system and the monitoring of doctors' attendance.Also Read: Odisha CM Reviews SCB Medical and Hanuman Bhatika Redevelopment ProjectsSpecialists Deployed Only During Rath YatraThe shortage becomes particularly visible after the annual Rath Yatra, when additional specialist doctors and medical personnel are deployed in Puri to manage the massive influx of devotees.However, once the festival period ends, the regular shortage of doctors, nurses and radiographers resurfaces.With a large number of posts remaining vacant throughout the year, the Puri District Headquarters Hospital is increasingly functioning as a referral facility rather than providing comprehensive treatment to the district's growing patient population.