The condition of the so called premier health institution of the State – Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) – can be easily gauged by the number of mosquitoes inside its campus and the intensity of their bites and sound they make. The autonomous health institution doesn’t appear to have enough cleanliness in its premises to keep mosquitoes and other insects at bay .
The patients and attendants staying at the hospital have to tackle this additional trouble as they are not provided any sort of assistance from the authorities. The fogging process as a precautionary method is also witnessed once in a blue moon. The hospital has the capacity to accomodate1,000 patients but according to the officials the number exceeds up to 1,300 patients every day. So the extra 300 patients have to stay on floors of the corridors for their treatment with their attendants.
With the onset of monsoon the number of mosquitoes has increased and so has the pain of attendants and the patients. A glance in side the health institution gives a unpleasant picture as flies keep buzzing and hovering around patients. Patients who are already in pain were found struggling with mosquitoes and files to keep them away from them.
Santosh Devi, who was here from Dumka for the treatment of her son said, “I am staying here from past three days for the treatment of my son. At night we face the problem of mosquitoes. Though we buy and use mosquito coils and there is a fan too but it is not much effective, so we cover our face with the bed sheet and wait for the sleep”.
Reena Kumari, a cardiac ailment patient lying on the hospital floor with her relative said, “I have come here for my treatment and from last two days I am staying here. Due to mosquito biting and flies over the body I cannot sleep properly at night”.
Despite the fact that the floors are mopped twice a day still the attendants and patients who stay on the floor have to deal with mosquitoes and other insects on their own.
“We take full care on the cleanliness matter inside the hospital campus. Though we do not have any repellent for stopping them but we make sure that anti disinfectant chemicals are spread twice in a month,” said a nursing staff.
Repeated attempts made by the pioneer to contact senior officials of RIMS to comment on the matter remained futile.