The network of roads on the General Hospital premises is dotted with potholes and has ceased to even resemble a tarred pathway, owing to the decrepit state it is in most parts.
Hospital staff indicated the section that led from the main wards, down to the yet-to-be-occupied new surgical building, and to the mortuary which the staff members said was growing increasingly difficult to negotiate, especially because they need to carrying bodies at times.
Hospital Superintendent Fazeelath Beevi said a Rs.24-lakh proposal had been submitted to the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) for the renovation of roads.
The plight of road had even irked employees who complained of being overburdened. They said they were in support of the two women attendants who had been suspended following the incident on Saturday when a body reportedly fell to the ground while being taken to the mortuary.
The two employees were present on Sunday during the Minister’s visit and they maintained that they had not dropped the body.
One spoke to K. Muraleedharan, MLA, and sought to revoke the suspension. He said any action would be based on the report of the Director of Health Services.
A worker said, “most of the time it is women who have to carry bodies down these roads and sometimes even during the night.” The path was ill lit and they used torch-light brought from home or relied on their mobile phones, she said.
Dr. Beevi said streetlights had been faulty only for the past two days. “Since the age-old mortuary can accommodate only five bodies, it is only very rarely that staffers get to go down that road,” she said, adding that some of the infrastructural issues within also stemmed from delays on part of the Kerala Water Authority and the Kerala State Electricity Board.
The workers said they had to take care of patients in more than two wards, when ideally there should be at least two taking care of one ward. Proper upkeep of the premises was difficult as the building was old and water supply disruption regular, the workers said.
Dr. Beevi said construction of overhead water tanks was also being considered. “Once the new surgical building becomes operational, this will be absolutely necessary,” she said.
