MADURAI
At a time when officials claim to take cleanliness campaigns under Swachh Bharat Mission seriously, the Government Rajaji Hospital, the premiere tertiary care institution in Madurai that ought to be clean, appear to have a few unhygienic spots within the premises.
A case in point is the vacant space adjacent to the old Obstetrics and Gynaecology (OG) building, which has now been altered as the fever clinic after OG department was shifted to the recently-built Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) building.
An intolerable stink pervades the spot, which also has stagnant water with mosquitoes breeding in it. A nursing staff, working at the fever clinic building, speaking on anonymity, said that the stagnant water was mainly from the leaks in the pipes coming out of bathroom.
“Since the spot is at the backside of the place we work, the stench often becomes unbearable. We have reported the issue to the staff of the private agency that is in charge of housekeeping, but no action has been taken,” she said.
As the vacant spot has no direct access to any buildings and the entry is only through a small gate on the compound wall, it has become a secluded spot for men to urinate in the open. When The Hindu visited the spot on Friday, at least three persons were seen urinating at the spot in a span of 10 minutes.
A housekeeping staff, requesting anonymity, said that urination became rampant at the spot after the area in front of the old OG building was converted as a parking lot for two-wheelers. “Both the men working at the parking lot and those who come to park vehicles use the spot for urination since they do not want to find where the nearest toilet is,” she said.
N. Thavamani, an auto driver from Arappalayam who accompanied his relative to the hospital on Friday, expressed dissatisfaction at the unhygienic condition. “People visiting the hospital may contract disease instead of getting cure. Should sanitation not be the top priority for hospital administration,” he asked.
When contacted, S. Shanmugasundaram, Dean (in-charge), assured that swift action will be taken to ensure that the area was cleaned up and maintained properly.