Catch a whiff of foul smell while visiting Female Medicine Ward at the GMCH? No wonder. The entire GMCH premises make a mockery of PM’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Authorities remain nonchalant to the whole issue.
The toilets in the ward are in a terrible state making it very unhygienic. Although dustbins have been placed inside the toilet facility, there is no regular cleaning. The whole area surrounding the dustbin is littered with dirt which could lead to a health hazard.
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Moreover, on both sides of the main entrance, heaps of garbage has been dumped which has led to a foul environment. There is no proper means of disposal and no dustbins have been provided either. The only two dustbins in the whole entrance path lies outside the pay and use toilet.
The sanitation facilities at GMCH are inadequate to meet the needs of the patients and their attendants. But authorities are loath to address the problem. They rather shift the blame on the attendants of the patients.
In the Female Medicine Ward particularly, there is only one outlet with two bathrooms, two toilets and two wash basins for the females.
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The two wash basins are also used for washing utensils due to lack of any other provision.
One of the female attendants said, “We do not have any alternative so we wash the utensils here. The staff members otherwise ask us to wash utensils near the dustbins. But that area is very dirty so I avoid that.”
Since male attendants are allowed to accompany patients during the day time, this facility is found to be highly inadequate.
“This is the nearest toilet facility in this ward. And while accompanying serious patients, it is risky to leave them,” a male attendant said.
Terming it as “public nuisance”, Superintendant of GMCH Ramen Talukdar said, “The toilets in the Female Medicine Ward are strictly for females but the male attendants also use it. People do not have the civic sense in spite of the messages and instructions put up on the walls. It has become a public nuisance.”
On being asked about the expenses for toilet maintenance, Talukdar refused to answer.
Regarding the need for additional provisions for toilets, Talukdar said, “That is not within my scope. We outsource the staff for cleaning, security and more. We also have three pay and use toilet facilities for the public.”