Amritsar: At govt hospital, toilet blocks stink to high heaven
Manmeet Singh Gill
Amritsar, August 22
The first activity the Aam Aadmi Party leaders undertook following their victory in the Assembly elections was to visit government hospitals in their respective areas and expose the level of cleanliness.
However, five months later, the situation has not much improved as foul emanating from the toilet blocks in Government Medical College and its associated clinical institute and Guru Nanak Dev Hospital pervade the atmosphere in and around the buildings. A visitor can easily guess that a toilet block is nearby.
As one enters the OPD registration block of the hospital, one toilet block is adjacent to orthopaedic OPD-cum-classroom. The foul smell from the washrooms fills the air in the whole corridor. Besides, the toilet block for men does not have any lighting arrangement. Of the three washbasin slots, two are empty. The water taps on empty washbasin slots are permanently closed.
The condition of other toilet blocks in the building is not satisfactory. Most of these were found mopped up, but the foul smell was pervasive in the corridors nearby. In another washbasin in one of the surgical wards, the water taps were seen closed. The outer door of the toilet block opening in the corridor was seen broken.
In the absence of proper ventilation, one cannot enter these without pressing his nose or covering the nose with a cloth.
Officials at the college state that the maintenance of washrooms comes under the purview of the PWD and Water Supply and Sanitation Department. “Moreover, the college faces a shortage of over 200 sweepers. The daily college OPD witnesses around 2,800 patients. With their attendants, the total number of those using the facility is around 7,000. Additionally, the patients admitted indoors and their attendants also use these facilities,” said a senior official.
Top positions vacant
The college principal, vice-principal and the medical superintendent had earlier tendered their resignations from their respective posts following the controversy in which the BFUHS Vice-Chancellor was made to lie on a dirty mattress by the Health Minister. However, the government has still not made fresh appointments against these positions.
