Keonjhar: The District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) here is facing myriad problems, including lack of hygiene and poor sanitation.
The Health Department has apparently failed to improve the sanitation issues in the DHH despite convening many review meetings recently past. One of the key indicators of patient’s satisfaction relates to his perception of cleanliness. Proper sanitation has become a distant dream for the patient ward too in the monsoon. Sewage from the lavatories usually inundates a sizable portion of the ward. Nevertheless, the patients are forced to survive in this area.
Maintenance of health facilities cleanly and hygienically is not only related to aesthetics and patient satisfaction, but it also reduces the incidence of Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI).
A private company has been outsourced to maintain the hospital premises. Already, Rs 2 lakh has been sanctioned and now, about Rs 8 lakh for cleanliness.
To enable the hospital management to address various aspects of facility cleanliness, sensitize staff and users regarding hospital cleanliness issues and practices to be followed by the health care providers, as many as 42 workers and supervisors are being appointed.
To strengthen the cleanliness services including waste management, drainage system, the Odisha Government has also introduced Nirmal scheme to provide various free ancillary services at all state-run hospitals and make quality health services affordable for everyone.
There is a risk that seasonal diseases can be life threatening to the people of rural areas as well as the patient in the hospital. Diseases such as malaria, diarrheo and viral fevers are very common during the monsoon season in the district. There is an increased risk of infections due to water pollution and mosquitoes. Bleaching powder and phenyl are not used for their strong smell.
“If the patient coming for treatment will be again affected with the disease due to surroundings, then there will be no use of the Nirmal Scheme”, lawyer Santosh Sahoo said.
PNN