Bargarh, Odisha : A startling case of medical negligence has surfaced at Bargarh District Headquarters Hospital, where accident victims are reportedly being treated not with proper Plaster of Paris, but with pieces of cardboard.
According to allegations, injured patients including road accident victims are having their fractured limbs stabilized using cardboard splints before being referred to Burla Medical College for further treatment. A recent video, now circulating widely, shows a patient’s arm secured with cardboard strips inside the hospital premises.
Locals claim this ‘desi jugaad’ method may not be new, raising concerns about whether it has been an ongoing practice. Despite being equipped with modern medical facilities, the hospital has failed to provide proper orthopedic care in such cases. Shockingly, in the absence of doctors, ward attendants or other staff members are said to perform this makeshift treatment.
While using cardboard for temporary immobilization in emergency field situations is not uncommon, adopting it as a routine hospital procedure is both unsafe and unacceptable, especially in a government-run healthcare institution.
The hospital caters not only to residents of Bargarh and nearby villages but also to patients from neighboring Chhattisgarh, making the revelations even more concerning.
Public outrage is growing as the administration and the state health department maintain silence over the matter. Questions remain unanswered — why is this practice being followed, and who is accountable for compromising patient safety?
The ‘cardboard plaster’ controversy has now sparked demands for a full investigation and strict action against those responsible.
