Pharmacist wears helmet on duty in Odisha hospital. Here’s why

Bhubaneswar: A pharmacist of a primary health centre (PHC) in Khaprakhol area of Bolangir district in Odisha reportedly wore a helmet soon after a portion of the hospital concrete ceiling fell off yesterday.

A piece of the concrete ceiling of Dhandamunda PHC under Khaprakhol block fell off while pharmacist Sumant Nayak was distributing medicines among a few patients yesterday morning.

The incident caused panic among the PHC staff and patients.

“The incident took place at around 8.30 am yesterday. I and a few patients had a narrow escape. This forced me to wear a motorcycle helmet,” Nayak said.

Locals, meanwhile, claimed that the hospital building has been in a dilapidated condition for last several days. However, the authorities concerned are yet to look into the issue.

“I had taken my mother to Dhandamunda PHC for her treatment yesterday morning. A portion of the concrete came off and fell on the pharmacist. It created a panic among the patients and health staff even though no one was injured in the mishap,” said Kishore Kumar Sahu, a local.

Medical officer of Dhandamunda PHC, Balakrushna Purohit, said he had verbally urged the authorities concerned to repair the hospital building but nothing has been done in this connection.