One of the most prominent Government hospitals in Uttarakhand- the Doon Hospital, continues to suffer from improper waste disposal due to combination of factors like limited resources and absence of civic sense among the visiting public. Due to this, it is not uncommon to find used bandages and other medical waste along with non-medical waste lying in the open instead of being disposed of scientifically after segregation.
When this correspondent visited the Doon Hospital, uncovered garbage bins, bloodied bandages, empty wafer packets and disposable tea cups were found dumped in the corners of the OPD ward. The wall along the staircase to the OPD ward is also defaced with Pan spit stains. In addition to this, the drains in the hospital compound carrying dirty water and sludge are not properly covered.
Talking to The Pioneer, the hospital’s senior paediatrician Dr DS Rawat informed that the hospital is currently in the process of overhauling the department. He said, “We are implementing a project with increased focus on the maintenance of sanitation in the hospital.”
Regarding the sense of hygiene among the people visiting the hospital, Dr Rawat said that this was considerably lacking. He said, “The general public appears clueless on hygiene issues. We have to educate them first and then implement the necessary regulations to make sure that the people do not spit in the open or dispose waste improperly,” he said.
Dr Rawat further informed that different coloured garbage bins will be placed in different parts of the hospital for segregated disposal of the different categories of waste. In addition to putting up warnings against littering and spitting in the hospital, the administration also plans to impose fines on those not observing such regulations. The public also needs to be made aware of the detrimental effects of habits like spitting in the open and improper disposal of waste, added Dr Rawat.