Coronavirus outbreak: Day after photos of dirty ward go viral, BMC appeals to patients

A day after photos of the alleged unhygienic isolation ward at Kasturba Gandhi Hospital went viral on social media, health officers on Saturday have requested patients

A day after photos of the alleged unhygienic isolation ward at Kasturba Gandhi Hospital went viral on social media, health officers on Saturday have requested patients to maintain hygiene etiquette.

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“We are verifying the authenticity of the photos and have directed the hospital staff to keep the isolation ward clean. But along with the hospital, it is also the responsibility of patients to maintain cleanliness and I request the quarantined patients to keep the ward clean for their own hygiene,” said Daksha Shah, deputy director, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) health department.

On Friday, a patient’s friend posted pictures in which cats are seen roaming in the ward and wash basins with blood sputum. “Please help. My friend is under observation at Ward 27 [of] Kasturba Hospital with 10 other patients. These bad conditions with poor sanitation, reckless staff attitude will not help contain the pandemic,” the post read.

When HT contacted another patient at the hospital, he confirmed that the photos reflected the actual conditions in the ward. “As the number of quarantined patients is on the rise, the ward is getting dirtier. The washrooms are filthy and the food is also bad,” he said.