Hygiene standards remain poor in govt hospitals

Hyderabad: Ever wondered why government hospitals are always dirty? It is because the hospital superintendents themselves grade the standards of hygiene in hospitals every month and submit a report to the Medical and Health Department. With no external agency to verify the claim, the sanitary conditions in hospitals remain the same with their premises being filled with pan stains, leftover food and biomedical waste being strewn all over the place.

The authorities at the Government Maternity Hospital in Petlaburj have given themselves 99 per cent grade as far health and sanitation is concerned for the month of September followed by 98 per cent in October and 97 per cent in November.

Speaking to The Hans India hospital superintendent Dr Nagamani said, “Ever since the new batch of outsourced employees for health and sanitation took over, there has been a marked improvement. So much so the entire hospital was cleaned with water using pipes. We have not left any stone unturned in keeping the premises clean.”

The hospital still reeks of filth as the staff is insufficient. The security and health and sanitation work has been outsourced to Agile three months ago. There are 47 employees in security wing and 65 in health and sanitation.

For the first time, a total of 47 outsourced employees have been taken under the patient care services to help nurses in arranging bedsheets, administering glucose and shifting patients. Dr Nagamani said, “We are functioning with very few nurses. Out of the 160 regular nurses, we are left with only 60 as many retired or have been promoted. There has been no recruitment of nurses.”

Several government hospital superintendents have been grading the cleanliness of their hospitals themselves. According to reliable sources, Gandhi Hospital authorities have given themselves 60 per cent grade in standards of hygiene. The disbursement of salaries to the outsourced staff to a large extent depends on the health and sanitation report given by the hospitals.

In the meanwhile, the outsourced employees of the previous batch complain about the delay of two months in paying salary. Relatives of patients are often seen squatting on the floor and in some cases when there is lack of beds, patients, too, sleep on the floor. Rubina Begum, a patient said, “We hope the Governor makes a surprise visit as he had done earlier this year to Gandhi Hospital.”

Hospital authorities said that there is a lack of awareness among the people. They spit and throw food on the floor. A senior doctor said, “They just spread a sheet and eat all the time. In spite of requesting them not to litter, there is no change. We are helpless.”