The Health Department authorities have sought an explanation from over a dozen employees, including doctors, nursing staff and other outsourced workers, as part of an investigation into the unhygienic conditions in a non-COVID-19 ward at the Government Stanley Medical College and Hospital in the city.

An inquiry by a team of doctors was ordered after a video on the poor conditions of amenities and cleanliness in the Pulmonary Medicine Ward posted, by an in-patient, was widely circulated on Friday.

State of the ward

Besides damaged beds, a dirty floor, medical waste and bird droppings strewn around, the video taken by the woman showed remains of what appeared to be the carcass of a bird on a blood-stained cot.

The committee, comprising the Resident Medical Officer and seven professors, perused the video and identified the ward to be located on the sixth floor of the New Tower Block.

A senior health official said the patients were accommodated in a room meant for storing condemned articles.

Unoccupied for months

The space had remained unoccupied for over three months because of the low turnout of non-COVID-19 patients.

Unaware of this, some outsourced workers shifted the patients there, he said.

The inquiry revealed that although three surgical patients were shifted to the ward on August 25, doctors did not go for their morning rounds there for the next two days.

The Assistant Resident Medical Officer held discussions with the Nursing Superintendents and instructed the outsourced hospital workers to clean the fifth and sixth floors of the New Tower Block.

Despite specific instructions, the cleaning staff did not visit the ward, hospital sources said on Saturday and added that an explanation had been sought from the doctors and paramedical staff who should have ensured the well-being of the patients.

Government Stanley Medical College and Hospital Dean P. Balaji said the inquiry committee’s report had been sent to the competent authority. The ward was cleaned and new beds/medical equipment had been installed.

Fresh instructions were given to the health workers to ensure that there was no compromise on cleanliness, he said.

DME lauds staff

Director of Medical Education M. Narayana Babu, who inspected the hospital and visited the ward, said doctors and health professionals were going out of their way to save lives during the crisis.

“It is not just about treating the patients but giving personal attention, like feeding and transporting them, since attenders are not allowed. The Government Stanley Medical College and Hospital has treated 23,000 COVID-19 patients and saved their lives,” he said.