An overflowing sewer in front of the labour department at the Mother and Child Hospital in civil hospital has the patients grappling with health hazards. Overflowing for a week, the stagnant water at the site has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, including those transmitting dengue and malaria.
Pools of stagnant water can be seen alongside the corridor leading to the labour department from the main building. The children’s park situated on the left of the corridor is also found flooded with contaminated water, with green algae visible in it.
Vikas Malhotra, whose wife is admitted in the ward, expressed his concerns about the sanitation at the facility. He said, “The situation is such despite this being the busiest ward of the hospital. Apart from depriving children of the opportunity to play that helps keep them distracted during the check-ups, it poses a health hazard for people like us, who have to sit in the chairs placed in that corridor as we are not allowed to go inside.”
More than 20 chairs placed in the corridor serve as the waiting area for patients and their attendants. The strong smell of sewage, along with flies and mosquitoes in the area, has become a major problem for them.
{{/usCountry}}More than 20 chairs placed in the corridor serve as the waiting area for patients and their attendants. The strong smell of sewage, along with flies and mosquitoes in the area, has become a major problem for them.
{{/usCountry}}The condition of sanitation was not much different inside the ward as well. Despite catering to over 100 patients every day, the ward lacks functional toilet for men. The solitary toilet for women at the facility is mostly unclean as well.
An ASHA worker, requesting anonymity, highlighted the challenges faced by pregnant women in the final trimester and said, “These women experience frequent urination but the washrooms in the ward are dirty. The stagnant water also creates a slippery surface that could lead to serious injuries.”
In response to the situation, senior medical officer Amarjeet Kaur acknowledged the issue. She said that efforts are being made to hire private sanitation workers to resolve the issue. However, the ongoing construction in the adjacent building, has hindered sewage management and repair work.
“I will speak to the sub-divisional officer of Punjab Health Systems Corporation, who is in charge of the construction site, and explore possible measures to resolve this issue,” she added.