The State’s health department has all the excuses for not doing anything. While it has not been able to make the State’s 500-bedded  Sadar hospital functional for one reason or the other, the department has also showed utter callousness in providing  medical facilities at the existing premises.

Worse, the authorities have removed the ceiling fans for maintenance when thecapital is sweltering at temperature over 38 degree celsius every day. A visit to the hospital greets one with the impaired electric appliances at wards, dire shortage of clean drinking water and appalling sanitary condition putting the patients mostly the poor at great difficulty.

The place which could have been a reliable facility gain for the patients in the heart of the city has turned into a hospital with most inhospitable condition.

Meena Devi, who is staying in the hospital with her newborn grandson and his lactating mother for past four days, distressed with the hospital poor amenities complains, “My daughter-in-law had a caesarean delivery and out of heat she has developed itching on her stitches. There is a fan on her ward but it is not functioning. Despite rigorously appealing for repair of fan the authorities showed a nonchalant attitude towards it. At last I arranged a table fan for her.”

There are as many as seven fans in the hospital maternity ward but only for namesake. Moreover, the hospital waiting hall does not have fan. Patients have to wait long for their chance in heat. The authorities said that several fans have been removed for maintenance.

Parveena Khan who was waiting to see her doctor in the waiting hall from past half an hour said, “The hospital should offer basic facilities to its patients. Drinking water facility, fan and proper seats at the waiting hall are the direst need of the hour and the hospital administration must look to it.”

Besides, there is no clean drinking water facility in the hospital. Despite harsh summer patients and their attainders do not have drinking water facility due to defunct water coolers.

The hospital handles as many as 45-50 patients in a month and in addition provides treatment to around 300 expecting women. Interestingly, despite awful condition the hospital witness a steady stream of patients, as they cite poverty as the reason for opting this hospital.

“I cannot afford to go in a private hospital for my monthly check up. We have been drawing the attention of the authorities toward the hospital appalling facilities from many months but no one has turn towards it,” said Neharika

Interestingly, although the hospital has mother and child care unit but there is no dedicated sanitary team for day to day maintenance. As a result of which the sanitary condition in and around the hospital is in a terrible state. Bathrooms and toilets are hardly maintained.

Moreover, the hospital back yard stinks as public have started using the open ground for urination.

Meanwhile, when the matter was brought to the notice of Ranchi Civil Surgeon Gopal Shrivastav he promised to look into the matter seriously and take action accordingly.

He said, “The fans have been sent for repairing and soon will be placed on ward. Moreover, the defunct water cooler will also get replace soon.”