New Delhi/Bhubaneswar- In a rare moment of blunt parliamentary intervention, Bargarh MP Pradip Purohit raised starred and unstarred questions in the Lok Sabha on the state of healthcare infrastructure in his constituency, particularly highlighting the acute pressure on Bargarh District Hospital and the alarming lack of super speciality facilities. While the very act of raising these questions was widely appreciated as a responsible parliamentary duty, the replies given by the Union Government have triggered sharp dissatisfaction and serious concern, both politically and morally, due to what is being described as misleading and factually incorrect information placed before the House.
According to the official reply, the government acknowledged that Bargarh District Hospital is burdened with nearly 700 to 800 OPD patients every day and caters not only to the district but also to patients from neighbouring regions, all with the support of around 35 doctors and specialists. However, despite admitting this heavy patient load, the Centre categorically stated that there is no proposal to upgrade the hospital into a super speciality facility and that instead tele-consultation services through e-Sanjeevani are being relied upon, a response that has been perceived locally as a poor substitute for physical infrastructure and specialist care.
The most contentious response came in connection with the Bargarh Cancer Hospital. In reply to Question Number 3, the government informed Parliament that a 100-bed cancer wing is operational at Bargarh District Hospital and that day-care chemotherapy services are available. This statement has been strongly disputed on the ground, where the so-called cancer wing, though housed in a newly constructed and visually impressive building with 100 new beds already supplied, remains virtually non-functional. The facility reportedly does not have full electrical connectivity, lacks essential medical equipment and operates with only one medicine department doctor who has been given chemotherapy training, without the support of oncologists, nurses, technicians or other required medical staff.
Local health activists and civil society groups argue that calling such a facility operational amounts to a grave distortion of facts. They point out that the building exists, the beds exist, but patient care does not. In practical terms, cancer patients from Bargarh and surrounding districts continue to travel long distances to Cuttack, Bhubaneswar or even outside the state for treatment, bearing enormous financial and emotional burdens. The declaration made on the floor of Parliament, therefore, is being viewed as an attempt to paint a paper reality while ignoring the lived suffering of patients.
Further dissatisfaction emerged from the government’s admission that no proposal has been received from the Odisha Government for establishing a 100-seat medical college in Bargarh. While the Centre cited the presence of medical colleges in neighbouring Balangir and Sambalpur districts as justification, critics argue that geographical proximity cannot replace accessibility, especially for a populous and backward district like Bargarh which continues to face a shortage of doctors and specialised care.
The Union Government also listed financial sanctions under schemes such as PM-ABHIM, including approval of over one hundred sixteen crore rupees for public health infrastructure in Bargarh, along with critical care blocks, integrated public health labs, block public health units and sub-health centres. While these announcements sound impressive on paper, the growing anger stems from the perception that implementation remains slow and outcomes invisible, particularly when core facilities like the cancer hospital remain idle.
The larger and more disturbing question raised by this episode is about credibility. If inaccurate or incomplete information about healthcare facilities is presented to the country’s highest legislative body, it erodes public trust not only in governments but in institutions themselves. As voices grow louder in Bargarh, the demand is no longer just for answers in Parliament, but for accountability on the ground, where buildings must translate into treatment and statistics into saved lives.
