Odisha train accident: Balasore district hospital a ‘war zone’ with rooms packed with patients

Balasore: At least 261 people have died and over 650 are injured in Odisha, with the injured being taken to Balasore District Hospital and Soro Hospital where three injured have been taken after a horrific accident on top of one of the trains The corridor looked like a war zone with stretchers and rooms bursting at its seams with extra beds to care for the endless stream of injured passengers.

Distressed medical staff were seen trying to help patients, many of whom are from states other than Odisha and have difficulty in communicating. A total of 526 train accident victims have been admitted to the Balasore district hospital till noon. Dr. Mrityunjay Mishra, Additional District Medical Officer (ADMO) of Balasore District Headquarters Hospital said, “I have been in this profession for many decades, but I have never seen such chaos in my life? Suddenly 251 accident victims Arrived at our hospital. Hospital and we were not prepared at all. Our staff worked whole night and provided first aid to everyone.”

Sixty-four patients were referred to the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack. Now we have 60 patients on the bed. Others were discharged after minor surgeries. He said, “We were really surprised as a large number of youths came here to donate blood. We collected around 500 units of blood overnight. Thanks to everyone. It’s an experience of a lifetime. Things are pretty normal now.” ”

Officials said policemen and locals have been voluntarily donating blood throughout the night at the Balasore district hospital and other hospitals. Over 2,000 people gathered at the Balasore Medical College and Hospital during the night to help the injured and many also donated blood, officials said. The morgue at the hospital was a pile of bodies covered in white shrouds, many of them yet to be identified as relatives as several train services were canceled or delayed due to the accident on a major railway trunk route.

Jagdeb Patra who is admitted in Balasore hospital with fractures in both hands said that he was traveling to Chennai. A large number of people, including many from West Bengal, were visiting Balasore Hospital and Soro in search of their missing relatives and friends. The injured have been taken to Balasore, Soro, Bhadrak, Jajpur hospitals and SCB Medical College in Cuttack.

Mukesh Pandit, an injured passenger from Jharkhand traveling on the Coromandel Express to Chennai, told PTI that “he did not realize when the accident happened, he was in great pain when he regained consciousness.” Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday said doctors from AIIMS-Bhubaneswar have been sent to Odisha’s Balasore and Cuttack to assist in relief work at the train accident site.

Taking to Twitter, Mandaviya said, “Two teams of doctors from AIIMS-Bhubaneswar have been sent to Balasore and Cuttack to assist in the relief work at the rail accident site in Odisha.” “We are providing all necessary help and medical aid to the victims of the tragic train accident to save precious lives,” he added.