Poor sanitation, lack of water supply in Sivasagar Civil Hospital

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

SIVASAGAR, August 20: It is no secret that government hospitals in Assam lack health, hygiene and a clean environment. While visiting government hospitals, one can witness appalling sanitation conditions in the hospital and can easily feel that health, hygiene and welfare of the people have not been given priority. Although lakhs of rupees are allocated for this purpose, the money has hardly been put to proper use.  Sivasagar Civil Hospital, which was established in the year 1984, is an exceptiol example of this. Entrance, reception, wards, corridors and toilets are in a dilapidated condition.

Wednesday night was no less than a nightmare for the staff of Sivasagar Civil Hospital, when Additiol Deputy Commissioner, Sivasagar Hem Kanta Pegu reached the hospital at night for checking. It was around 9:30 pm when Pegu arrived at the hospital. He stayed there for about five-and- half hours and found many shortcomings.

According to sources, the ADC expressed dissatisfaction over the maintence of toilets, corridors and wards in the hospital. He interacted with patients, attendants, doctors and nurses present at that time. He enquired the availability of doctors, nurses, grade-IVs, their duty hours and other services.

During the inspection, patients and attendants coming from various parts of the district informed him about the problems faced by them. They complained that they had not been getting drinking water in the hospital as the water-purifier was defunct and for this they had to buy water from outside. There was even no water in the toilets.

All the allegations made by the patients and their attendants proved true when the ADC inspected and found general cleanliness in the wards, corridors and toilets very poor. All water tapes in the toilets and tubewells were found defunct. Besides, no lights were found in the toilets.

Dissatisfied with the pathetic sanitation condition of the hospital, the ADC rang up the Superintendent of the hospital, Abdul Latif and instructed him to improve the health services immediately, said sources.