Hisar Civil Hospital inundated after rain

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, July 1

The rainy season gives a harrowing time to patients and staff at the Civil Hospital in Hisar which is located in a low-lying area adjoining the historic Hisar-e-Firoza fort along the Bus stand road in the town.

Problem with sewerage

There is a problem with sewerage as it takes time to drain out water. PHED officials have assured us of repairing it at the earliest. There is a proposal to put in place a drainage system for speedy disposal of rainwater. Dr Sapna Gahlawat, Chief medical officer, Hisar

With 72.6 mm rainfall recorded in the district early today, the bowl-shaped location of the civil hospital gets filled with rainwater. Though the rainwater got drained after some time, it remained stagnant in patches on the campus.

When this correspondent visited the Civil Hospital today, the Civil Surgeon’s office was found inundated even after 12 hours of rain last night. Though the water was drained out by installing electric motors from the main campus, patients, their attendants and even the hospital staff had a tough time on muddy floors to their respective rooms inside the building.

Hospital staff members expressed concern over the problems that poured with the first major spell. “Thinking what is likely to follow as the monsoon season proceeds is harrowing for us as well as the patients. The drainage system gets overwhelmed with a couple of spells. It becomes difficult to drain out the rainwater, which enters the building as well”, said an employee.

Set up in 1957, the campus and the main building of the Maharaja Agrasen Civil Hospital is about three feet below the main Hisar-Sirsa road. Unfortunately, additional construction or even elevation of the hospital building is not possible due to the adjoining Hisar-e-Firoza fort, which is an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected site. As per the ASI norms, no construction is allowed in a specific radius around the ASI protected building.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Sapna Gahlawat said last night’s rain had completely inundated the campus of the hospital. “Though the rainwater has been drained out from the main campus with the help of electric motors, we are bound to face more problems during the monsoon season,” she said.

The CMO the issue had been raised with the (PHED) department concerned time and again, but to no avail. “There is a sewerage problem as it takes time to drain out water. PHED officials have assured us of repairing it at the earliest. There is a proposal to put in place a drainage system for speedy disposal of rainwater, which is still in the pipeline,” the CMO said.

However, the district administration wants the Civil Hospital shifted from the present site. “The district administration has identified about 22 acres on the Hisar-Delhi bypass. Further action will be taken on getting sanction from the government,” said Chetna Choudhary, District Revenue Officer.