Unhygienic conditions plague Sunderbani health institutions 
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Sunderbani (Rajouri), July 28
Even as during the monsoon when gastrointestinal cases hit an all-time high, unhygienic conditions prevail at the health institutions here due to the shortage of safai karamcharis.
In the Sunderbani area, a majority of the health institutions, including sub-district hospital (SDH), Sunderbani, lack hygiene due to the shortage of safai karamcharis during the ongoing rainy season when the risk of gastrointestinal diseases is at an all-time high.
Residents of Sunderbani town said even as there was a great risk of gastrointestinal diseases during the monsoon season due to unhygienic conditions, lives of patients who seek treatment at the hospital here were at risk since the unhygienic conditions prevailed in the hospital as well. They added that the worst was the cleanliness scenario in the health institutions in the far-flung areas of the Sunderbani area.

Accumulated water inside SDH, Sunderbani, speaks of unhygienic conditions in the hospital.
“There are about 20 rooms in SDH, Sunderbani, but there are just two cleaners for the whole building which , too, is insufficient number to maintain hygienic conditions in the hospital.
Since unhygienic conditions prevailing during the monsoon season result in spurt in gastrointestinal diseases, if the unhygienic conditions prevail at the health institutions also, where would patients seek medical aid. Their lives are at risk,” said Joginder Gupta, a social worker and a resident of Sunderbani.
“The government should provide adequate number of cleaners so that hygienic conditions are maintained at least within the health institutions”.
Sources in the health department divulged that hygienic conditions were somewhat better in the SDH since the department temporarily shifted four to five safai karamcharis from about 50 health institutions in the entire Sunderbani area comprising Community Health Centres (CHCs), Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Allopathic Dispensaries (ADs), Medical Aid Centres and Sub-Centres.
He added that since the department temporarily shifted cleaners from adjoining health centres to the SDH, unhygienic conditions prevailed in those health institutions putting the lives of poor patients at risk.
Another resident, Sham Lal of the Devak area, who suffered from a gastrointestinal problem recently and had to seek treatment from the adjoining PHC in the Hathal area, said, “Even as I went to seek treatment from the health institution, I felt that I was rather better off at my home where we at least maintain some sort of hygiene. The conditions of health institutions are worse than our homes”.
“We hear that the department has not posted adequate number of cleaners. If the government is really serious about saving the lives of people, it should depute more cleaners in the health institutions”.
Dr Manjeet Singh Anmol, chief medical officer, Rajouri, admitting that there was shortage of cleaners in the health institutions in the Sunderbani area, told The Tribune that, “We project the shortage of staff continuously with our higher-ups. It is up to them to sort out the same”.