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Fresh sheets, swept floors at civil hospital to greet health minister today
With Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh Sidhu set to visit the civil hospital on Wednesday, the management and staff at the facility on Tuesday went into overdrive to ensure that it was ready for inspection
With Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh Sidhu set to visit the civil hospital on Wednesday, the management and staff at the facility on Tuesday went into overdrive to ensure that it was ready for inspection.
“We are all set for the visit and necessary arrangements have been made,” said Nodal officer Dr Charan Kamal.
The hospital saw a flurry of cleanliness drives and meetings ahead of the inspection.
Senior officials convened a meeting, emphasising on the urgency of punctuality and uniforms for the staff. They stressed on the need for pristine conditions in each ward.
Staff members privy to the meeting said, “We were instructed to be prepared a visit at any hour.” They added that they have been instructed to swap all the linens in all wards on the morning of the visit.
Sweepers and sanitation workers could be seen hard at work till late in the evening, well beyond their usual hours. While the neglected corners of the hospital were finally given an eye by the sanitation staff, the ongoing works also got a last-minute facelift.
“We expect the visit to extend beyond a routine inspection and the minister will observe the infrastructure to identify gaps, so that it can inform policy decisions to address these shortcomings,” Dr Kamal added.
Despite all the efforts, the hospital’s shortcomings remain visible. As leaking taps continue to waste water, overflowing sewage, a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes, can be seen in parts of the facility. The stink of the sewage makes it difficult for the staff and patients alike.
Deepinder Kumar, whose wife has been admitted to the hospital for four days, said “It was today that we finally got clean bed sheets. The water cooler, which wasn’t working till yesterday, started dispensing cold water.” He added that these visits should be unannounced, so as to determine the actual the common people get at these facilities.
A worker at the hospital said that it was just a one-day show. “Once the inspection is over, everything will return to how it was before. This preparation merely highlights the lack of regular maintenance,” they added.
Fire extinguishers and gas alarms were also found to be out of order at facility, raising safety concerns.
