Security guards provide healthcare services at Soro hospital in Odisha’s Balasore

Soro: A few security guards were seen attending to patients at Soro community health centre (CHC) in Balasore district. A video purportedly showing one of them checking the blood pressure of a female patient sitting on a chair at the government-run health facility has gone viral on social media.

Several patients from Balasore and Bhadrak districts depend on this CHC. On the contrary, the hospital had previously hogged the headlines for mismanagement.

Security guards are often seen issuing OPD tickets at the reception counter, checking blood pressure, and porting medical equipment. At times, they water plants rather than doing their actual job.

Allegedly, motorcycles are frequently stolen from the hospital premises. Sanitary fittings worth lakhs of rupees were earlier stolen on January 13 from an under-construction toilet at the hospital.

When contacted, the CHC manager Satyanarayan Nayak said, “Security guards occasionally check the blood pressure of patients through digital machines during rush hours alone. Moreover, issuing OPD tickets at the reception counter is a part of their job. Hence, they have been deployed there.”

Notably, similar incidents were also seen in Anantapur CHC under Soro block in the district.

Despite attempts, the views of Anantapur CHC manager Basanti Pal could not be obtained.