As new buildings come up, old ICH block faces conservancy staff shortage

The medical staff say that the housekeeping and conservancy work should be outsourced to maintain the block.Across the nine floors of the building, old block houses departments, including haematology, gastroenterology, pulmonology and other in-patient wards. But hospital authorities claim that there were only a few housekeeping staff to take care of the building.

“There are very few sanitary workers to clean this building, especially after several new buildings came up for the outpatient block and other special wards at the hospital. This building, however, houses many significant specialty sections. Despite several requests to increase the number of workers to maintain this block, we had to resort to outsourcing the sanitary work,” says Dr Aruna Rajendran, a consultant at haematology block at ICH.

Each unit has a ward that receives at least 40 patients a day. But the seating arrangement is insufficient to cater to the number of patient attendants who have to wait outside the block as only one attendant is allowed inside with the patient. “Usually, children are admitted with their mother, who acts as the attendant, while the father or relatives wait outside. We cannot ask them to go away because the family might need help. There is no family refreshment area or even a place for them to sit. Hence, they sit on the floor within the premises. This is also why we need to keep the block clean,” said Dr Mohan Kumar, a paediatrician at the institute. Doctors at the old building said that they have requested senior Health Department officials to increase the number of housekeeping staff to be able to ensure hygiene within the premises of the old block.