A day after President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the Super Speciality Hospital at Rourkela in Odisha, patients and workers led by the Left parties barged into the hospital premises on Monday and demanded treatment at Rs 10 per patient as charged by the All India Institute Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi and its other branches.

A scuffle ensued after the workers engaged in a heated argument with the hospital staff on the issue of affordable treatment.

Sources said some people entered the hospital building taking advantage of the tension and went on a rampage, breaking chairs and tables. However, neither the workers nor the hospital authorities admitted to any loss of property.

Rourkela Nagarik Mancha (citizen forum) convener Bishnu Mohanty told The Telegraph: “When we went there with about 20 patients, we found the hospital gates closed. When we tried to enter forcibly, they opened the gates. But all hell broke loose when the hospital authorities demanded Rs 500 as ticket fees instead of Rs 10 charged by AIIMS. How can poor people afford to pay such high fees?”

Mohanty said: “We have been cheated. The Prime Minister had announced in 2015 that a super speciality hospital along with a medical college will be set up. Now only the super speciality hospital has been set up. But it lacks staff including doctors. Besides, we want the hospital’s management should be handed over to AIIMS Bhubaneswar so that people will be able to get affordable medical treatment.”

Following the intervention of senior officials of the Rourkela Steel Plant, the situation was brought under control.

The people of Rourkela had joined hands and formed a 18km-long human chain on March 19 to protest after the proposed medical college was not set up.