Amid clean-up drive to prevent dengue, govt hospitals hide trash in backyard

Patients visiting the Thoracic Medicine Department in Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital are asked to maintain hygiene and check on contaminated water that can lead to throat infections and other issues. But, the open space beside the department is dumped with old furniture, corroding motorcycles, debris and other garbage that patients even find it difficult to breathe properly due to the foul odour.

“There are a few old cupboards lying here with a few bikes that people never claimed and we don’t know where have they come from. But it is not uncommon to see patients use this place as an open toilet,” says K Jayakumar, housekeeping staff

The entrance to most of the government hospitals is kept clean, but the vicinity also needs to be clean even in the areas that are not inspected often. The Institute of Child Health (ICH) has empty dustbins and biomedical waste outside the hospital premises near the Halls Road entrance. Even the Stanley Medical College and Hospital has debris dumped near the student hostels in a few areas.

A hostel resident said on condition of anonymity that the authorities focus on cleanliness only after the number of cases has increased in large numbers, however, the hostel buildingsare being neglected.

When contacted, the public health director Dr K Kolandaisamy said that the health secretary has already instructed the hospital authorities at ICH to remove the biomedical waste dustbins from near the hospital entrance. “We will take the mentioned areas into consideration and will instruct the hospital authorities at RGGGH and Stanley Medical College to take necessary action immediately and the follow up inspection will also be carried out,” he said.