Mosquito menace in and around the premier health institution of the State- Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) still exists despite the administration’s claim of regular fogging and taking other measures frequently on the premises.
The number of mosquitoes, intensity of their bites and sound they make can be clearly gauged inside its campus. Moreover, the cleanliness measures used by the institution to keep mosquitoes and other insect at bay also didn’t seem fruitful.
A patient of General Ward Raju Kumar said, “Here my night has become dreadful because of the mosquitoes. Though we have a fan in our ward but that does not give any respite from them. I have told the nurses about it but to no avail.” Echoing him, another patient Devati Devi said, “We are here to for the treatment but with these mosquitoes, I am afraid, we will fall ill again. It is worthless to tell the hospital staff as they have adopted a nonchalant attitude towards patients’ problems.”
Interestingly, not only the patients but their attendants have also to tackle this problem as they are not provided any sort of assistance from the authorities. Reema Devi who is staying here for her husband’s treatment said, “Though I use mosquitoes coil at night but the buzzing sound of the mosquitoes have converted my night into a nightmare. I am spending sleepless night from past few days.”
The RIMS administration claim that the floors of the hospital are mopped twice fogging is done on weekly basis, but the shops owners around the hospital campus disagree.
“It is true that fogging is done here but not on weekly basis, it is once in a month. I had been witnessing from past one year the administration begins its fogging process from the month of April and last till August,” said a coffee shop owner. Meanwhile, a hospital staff on the condition of anonymity said, “The fogging process is conducted only a day before a VVIP’s inspection of the hospital.” Interestingly, when the hospital Medical Superintendent Dr SK Choudhary was enquired over it he termed the claims baseless. He said, “All the allegations are baseless. I keep a tab on it and have found that fogging is being done at regular basis. “