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Bed bugs, cockroaches crawling out of YCMH woodwork; authorities at wits’ end
All the wards have bed bugs and cockroaches, and the entire hospital is infested, one of the patients said
PUNE: An epidemic of bed bugs and cockroaches is unfolding at the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC)-run Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH), triggering a wave of insect phobia and a barrage of questions regarding the health and safety of patients admitted to the hospital. Advocate Sagar Charan, a member of the District Monitoring Committee, has written to the PCMC chief, Shekhar Singh, demanding action against the concerned officials and measures to contain the spread of bed bugs and cockroaches at YCMH.
Advocate Charan, who had one of his relatives admitted to the hospital, was shocked to see bed bugs and cockroaches crawling out of the beds and tables at YCMH. “All the wards have bed bugs and cockroaches, and the entire hospital is infested. The problem has become acute due to the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities. No measures have been taken by the hospital authorities to carry out pest control,” he said.
The YCMH is a 750-bed hospital, which currently has over 700 indoor patients. The hospital daily sees around 3,000 visitors, including OPD patients. The YCMH was built in 1989 and not only the structure but even the wooden furniture in most of its wards is old. The old building and the furniture housed by it have become a haven for bed bugs and cockroaches, the officials said.
Advocate Charan said that pest control should be carried out regularly at the hospital, and that action should be taken against the officials responsible for such a sorry state of affairs. “Thousands of patients visiting the hospital are at risk given the situation,” he said.
Dr Rajendra Wabale, dean of YCMH, said that the bed bugs and cockroaches have ample place to hide due to the old structure and furniture. Pest control is carried out regularly but there are limitations to the same. “If we use large amounts of pesticides to control the pests, it is a problem for the patients. And if the pesticides are used in less quantity, the pests are a recurring problem,” Dr Wabale said.
“The team which conducts the pest control has been instructed. Once the renovation work is completed, there will be no issue of bed bugs and cockroaches,” he said.
