The shopkeepers outside Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children in Chepauk are building a thriving business thanks to the unavailability of drinking water at the hospital.
“We take empty bottles and pay Rs. 7 to fill two litres at a shop outside the hospital,” said Maria, the mother of a patient who recently gave birth at the hospital.
According to P.M. Gopinath, director of social obstetrics, “Steel drums have been installed in every ward to provide sterilized water to patients.” Though hospital authorities said there is sufficient drinking water in all the wards, the patients complained of having to bring water from their homes.
Given their low immunity, newborns are supposed to be bathed with sterilized water. At the hospital however, patients claimed to bring their own supply of sterilized water to give their babies a bath. “Water for bathing is not provided by the hospital. We had to bring water from home to give my child a bath,” said Ramya, a new mother.
Several wash basins, such as the one near the D.O.T section in the building, were filled with discarded plastic water bottles, and the tap had run out of water. Even the sintex tank provided for the attendants in the visitor's area had run dry. There was no water supply in the toilets either. “Water supply to toilets is irregular. It resumes and stops abruptly,” said Rani, a patient. The floors of the toilets, which are often found to be wet, are another cause for worry, say patients.
The hospital has 695 beds and currently has 642 in-patients. However, despite having more beds than patients, there have been instances when mothers, especially those who had a natural delivery, were made to sleep on the floor with their newborns. “My day-old child and I were made to sleep on a straw mat on the floor a day after the delivery,” Sapna said.
According to Dr. Gopinath, each of the wards has a specific number of beds allotted for patients. When the number of patients in a ward exceeds bed availability, then such an instance may occur, he said. “Sometime the beds are sent for repair. In such cases, a few wards may face a shortage of beds,” he said.
When asked about the condition of the toilets, he said they were cleaned on a daily basis, but maintaining cleanliness was an issue. Since patients are accompanied by more than one attendants, they end up using toilets meant for the patients, he said.
Responsibility to keep the premises clean lies not just with the hospital authorities but also with patients and their visiting families, he said. Several visitors were seen throwing away food leftover along the sides of the corridor and washing the utensils in the bathing area, resulting is clogging of drains.
Keywords: drinking water shortage, Kasturba Gandhi Hospital
A timely article at a moment when the fight against corruption is peaking. Supplying clean, sterile water is the responsibility of the hospital authorities. No excuses in this regard. But, at the same time, patients and those who accompany them should show some sympathy towards the janitors who are entrusted with the job of cleaning the toilets. After attending to the 'nature's call', people should spend a minute or two to leave the place clean for the next person. Throwing waste paper, food foils and plastic bottles in the rest room in the way depicted in the above photo is equivalent to abusing the people who clean those places. If proper disposal areas are not provided, people can carry the trash with them in a plastic bag and trash it when they find a disposal bin down the street. There is no point in blaming the government or private machinery responsible for keeping these places clean. The moral obligation to keep our surroundings clean rests on each and every responsible citizen.
These kind of hospitals just care for the patients' money not for the patients.
I don't know when the CIVIC SENSE dream will come true!
pathetic. deplorable.. what are the babus/health authorities doing.. looks like people have to take action...
The patients who visit the govt.hospitals are really very poor and destitutes.They don't have the power to overthrow any govt. hence they are least bothered by the Govt.The water scarcity may be due to the govt. employees selling the water meant for the hospital directly to the shop, part of the commission will certainly goes to Dr.Vijay and Dr.JJ. The reason why the hospital is not clean is simply because they are paid very high salary. The clenaer in Govt. hospital is paid nearly R 15 to 20,00 per month depending on his seniority. But most of the times they will be intoxicated, if anyone dares to question them the ruling party will come to their support, which I personally experienced.It is the right time that Govt. privatise all the hospitals and people should be free to take treatment in any hospital and the insurance company should pay the cost. If you adopt this model you can deliver 5 star health care with saving a lot of money than we do now.
Now a days every one can give a good explanations but the truth is no one wants to work. Mr. Doctor, you being in a very dignified profession have the right to ask the sweepers to clean the dirty toilets on a regular basis. It is the part of their job and is your responsibility to see that your patients doesn't suffer. Its the responsibility of Government to provide proper drinking water to each and every person. If we delay in paying tax once then they can keep a good track of that (includes a fine as well), why cant they do the same for those people who are not doing their duty. BUT why will they, who knows the big bang water business is carried out by some one among them to extract the leftovers from the civilian.
Media has done its responsibility of exposing such a thing.The minister in-charge of health of the state government should take ownership of such a bad state of affair in the hospital which is mainly meant for women, when the Chief Minister of the state is a Woman.There are so many NGO's in Chennai either Govt. sponsored/supported or else should come forward to clean the hospital on priority.NSS of Women's college( including NSS Girls wing of engineering colleges)in Chennai should come forward to get it right.
Do you know that as part of NSC activities I and my colleagues have done 160 hours and above each of volunteer service at General Hospital when doing my BSc at Loyola College in Chennai.Please if that Hospital requires such service just ask the nearest ladies college to send ten volunteers daily for two hours everyday evening to cleanup.Allow them do the cleanup Between 1600 and 1800 hrs and give them credits for internal assessment.These are social service activities to ensure Students have a sense of responsibility towards the society they live in.
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