PGIMER’s nursing officers highlight ‘deteriorating’ hostel conditions, request AC installation
At present, the temperature in Chandigarh is hovering around 39°C to 40°C, and last year, it exceeded 45°C during the peak summer.
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The nursing officers have requested the director’s permission to allow the installation of air-conditioners in their rooms. The nursing officers have added that they would comply with the technical guidelines laid down by the administration to ensure safety and uniformity. (Source: File Photo)
Underscoring the “deteriorating living conditions” of their rooms, the nursing officers residing in the hostels of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, have urged the institute’s director to get air conditioners (ACs) installed in their rooms in a bid to get respite from extreme heat conditions.
At present, the temperature in Chandigarh is hovering around 39°C to 40°C, and last year, it exceeded 45°C during the peak summer.
The intense heat, write the nurses in the first letter addressed to Vivek Lal, director, PGIMER, “severely impacts their ability to rest and recover after long, demanding hospital shifts”. As per a nursing officer, the rooms in Nivedita Hostel — female nursing officers’ residence— in PGIMER, become “unbearably hot, making sleep and basic comfort nearly impossible, which directly compromises their health, mental alertness, and overall efficiency in fulfilling their clinical responsibilities”.
Given this situation, they have requested the director’s permission to allow the installation of air-conditioners in their rooms. The nursing officers have added that they would comply with the technical guidelines laid down by the administration to ensure safety and uniformity.
In another letter to the director, the nursing officers have also requested the renovation and maintenance of Nivedita Hostel, highlighting the “deteriorating living conditions” within the premises.
As frontline healthcare professionals, the current condition of the accommodation, say the nurses, is adversely affecting their health, safety, and well-being. Despite the continuous efforts in maintaining hygiene and discipline within the hostel, the infrastructure and maintenance issues have reached a point where immediate institutional intervention is essential.
Some of the key concerns include a drainage system that is frequently blocked, causing stagnant water, odours, and posing a risk of infections. Washrooms have persistent leakage issues, resulting in wet floors, dampness, and unhygienic usage conditions, with many bathroom doors lacking, and broken or open glass panes in washroom windows posing safety and modesty concerns. Fungal growth on the room ceiling, poor sanitation and cleanliness, stray dogs in the hostel premises, a non-functional water cooler and purifier are the other issues that have been highlighted.
“As dedicated healthcare workers, we are committed to providing uninterrupted patient care, often working in high-stress environments and long shifts. We believe that dignified and hygienic accommodation is a necessity that supports our physical and mental health, which in turn directly impacts our efficiency and performance at work. We hope this appeal will be treated with the urgency it warrants and ensure that we, as essential service providers, are not forced to live in substandard conditions,” says the letter.
Manjeek Kaur, president, PGIMER Nursing Association, said that in this hot and humid weather, having an AC is very important, especially when the nursing officers are working so hard in the hospital with not enough staff.
“ Last year, we spoke about the need for women’s safety at work, including having separate restrooms, washrooms, and emergency buttons. But what we see today is very different. When women officers are living in such poor conditions, it’s not just disappointing, it makes us question the whole system and how much it cares about our well-being,” says Kaur.
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