Veteran Odisha Leader Dr. Damodar Rout Declared Braindead, says Son

Bhubaneswar: Former Odisha Minister and veteran leader Dr. Damodar Rout (81) has been declared braindead after suffering a cardiac arrest. He is currently admitted to Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) hospital and is in critical condition, as confirmed by his son and MLA Sambit Routray on Thursday.

“My father’s heart started functioning after CPR was given at the private hospital but his brain is not functioning. His condition is very critical,” Sambit said.

Dr. Rout, a senior leader of the BJD, experienced a cardiac arrest on March 18. Initially taken to Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar around 3 pm, he was later shifted to the private hospital KIMS. Sambit alleged that doctors at Capital Hospital did not provide CPR during the crisis despite several requests.

Sambit further stated that the delay of 15 to 20 minutes in transferring his father to a private hospital caused extensive damage due to a lack of oxygen supply.

However, refuting the allegations, Capital Hospital Director Laxmidhar Sahu stated, “Dr. Rout was provided with the required treatment, but his records also showed that he had stage 5 kidney issues. Then he was referred to another hospital as we do not have specialized doctors for kidney-related issues in our hospital. Dr. Rout was not in a condition to be treated with CPR. We have done our best for his treatment.”

Expressing concern, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik posted on social media, “I am concerned to know about the illness of senior party leader and former minister Mr. Damodar Rout. Wishing him good health and a long life.”