145;Unclean146; DDU gets even doctors now

Seventy-three patients in the paediatric ward share three toilets, which have no water.

The doctors at the hospital are no better off. At least five doctors in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department at the hospital are under treatment for Urinary Tract Infections UTIs. Hospital Acquired Infections HAI, especially UTIs, are a part of the package deal that come with treatment at the DDU Hospital.

As a last resort, women doctors in the hospital8217;s Obstetrics and Gynaecology department are running a signature campaign to get hospital authorities to sit up and take notice. 8220;We have repeatedly told our seniors to make basic facilities like water and toilets available. Since consultants have personal toilets in their rooms, they do not care about the facilities available to patients and doctors,8221; said a senior doctor in the Paediatrics department.

Said Firoza, 8220;The ward is filthy and toilets are filling up. No one cleans them and there is no water- to clean or to drink. Due to the unhygienic conditions and bed-sharing, pus develops in the sutures. Like most patients in this ward, my sutures too had to be re-done,8221;.

8220;Since the toilets meant for patients are in such terrible shape, patients use the ones meant for doctors. They are bound to catch infections and so are we. With three to four patients per bed, there is severe risk of cross-infection, which leads to pus formation in the sutures. Close to 70 per cent of the patients8217; dressing is re-done every two days,8221; said a nurse on condition of anonymity.

Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Aveendra Prasad, however, blamed the Public Works Department for the hospital8217;s lack of cleanliness. 8220;Infections happen at times when you are working in such an environment. But I have no information about doctors getting infected. It is the PWD8217;s job to maintain cleanliness of the toilets and we are also clearly short of toilets. We have proposed a renovation at the hospital, but that will take a few years,8221; added Dr Prasad.

8220;We, however, cannot turn away patients because of insufficient number of toilets. They are sharing beds and this obviously leads to cross-infections. But infections can be cured. It is better than turning patients away and causing deaths,8221; he added.

According to hospital authorities, the staff sanction for DDU Hospital is one patient per nurse, while in reality one nurse cares for seven to 10 patients. 8220;We are the biggest hospital in the area. These problems are bound to occur when the patient load in huge,8221; added Dr Prasad.