UP: Hospitals fails in reality check, lack basic facilities

In a reality check conducted in Uttar Pradesh district hospitals, it is revealed that most of the hospitals in the state have poor sanitation and lack of medical facilities that add up to the sufferings of the ailing patients.

Uttar Pradesh:Poor sanitation and lack of medical facilities in Moradabad district hospital and Ursala Hospital in Kanpur have added up to the sufferings of the ailing patients, as per a reality check operation conducted in these hospitals.

"Sanitation workers do not change the bed sheets, patients have to sleep on dirty and stained sheets. They clean the room once in every two or three days and charge every patient for cleaning their room" a patient told to media.

Due to lack of cleanliness, garbage bins spill over and sacks of dirty cotton buds, used bandages and diapers are seen in the hospital corridors.

"Hospital premises stink all the time; we requested the worker to clean the room properly but she argued back and bluntly refused to clean," another patient told to media.

Due to power cut issues, patients in the wards have to bear with great adversities. All the wards are stuffed with at least 15 to 20 patients at one juncture of time with no fan and light, making it more difficult for the patients to stay there.

Hospital authorities themselves feel helpless in this regard and tried to put this blame game on other private authority, which takes care of hospital cleanliness and sanitation.

"We have a cleanliness and sanitation contract with a private company. The workers clean all the wards and hospital premises once in a while, they do not come for cleaning on a regular basis. I have written a complaint to their higher authorities but nothing has been done so far in this direction" Hospital in-charge Dr Jyotsana Upadhyay Pant told to media.

She did not further embellish the problem and asked the media to convey a message to the higher authorities to help in this regard.

Although, Ursala Hospital is one of the largest government hospitals in Kanpur, attendants and patients have to bear the brunt of lack of basic medical facilities and sanitation.

The hospital lacks basic medical facilities like ambulance, stretcher and wheelchair. Attendants themselves have to drag the patients to reach the hospital ward or parking area.

"There is no ambulance facility in this hospital; it becomes so problematic for us to carry the patient to the ward. These hospital authorities do not help us in any way, all they know is to earn money and do nothing for the betterment of the patients" an attendant accompanying her ill relative told to media.

There is no waiting room facility for the attendants or relatives of the patients; they have to sit on the floor, near the reception area.

While the patients here decry authority support, the authorities, on the other hand, asserted about good facilities being provided to all their patients.

"This is one of the largest and fabled hospitals in the town. We have good manpower to handle all the patients and their issues; we take care of our patients and provide them with good medical facilities" in charge cum head of the hospital Dr Uma Kant told to media.