Angul: The district headquarters hospital (DHH) here has received equipment worth crores of rupees under the Odisha government’s ‘Nirmal Scheme’. These have been given to maintain cleanliness on the hospital premises and also to carry out sanitation on a regular basis. However, the machines have never been used even once.
The ‘Nirmal Scheme’ launched in 2018-19 aimed to give the state-run hospitals the look and cleanliness of the private medical facilities and to provide patients and their families with a clean and hygienic environment. The scheme was launched with the aim of drawing more people to the government-run hospitals and to provide them with medical facilities at a cheaper rate. However, it seems that the effort has failed at the DHH here.
Under this scheme, a hospital is provided with funds and equipment to keep the floor and window panes clean, repair broken furniture and electrical equipment and to maintain drains and gardens. There are even provisions in the scheme to appoint carpenters and electricians.
Angul DHH has a vacuum cleaner, high-pressure cleaner, glass cleaning kit, telescopic pole, back-pack vacuum cleaner, heavy-duty scrubbing pole, buckets and trolleys. However, none of these machines have been used. Instead, the same old practice of using brooms and mops is continuing.
The Angul DHH has ‘Three Bucket Cleaning System’ to keep the floor free from germs and dirt. In this system, a push cart carries three buckets containing water, phenyl and a chemical. The three items are mixed for cleaning floors. However, the equipment has not been used even once since it was brought here. Most of the staff feigned ignorance when asked about this particular equipment.
It has also been alleged that the firm which has signed the contract to maintain cleanliness and repair broken furniture is not doing its job in a proper manner.
Patients and their relatives criticised the DHH authorities for their callous attitude. “We fail to understand why the employees of the contractor’s firm are not using the modern equipment available for maintaining the hospital premises,” they said.
However, an official of the firm engaged for maintenance defended their action. “These machines have been lying defunct for years now. So we are sweeping and mopping the floors manually,” he said on the condition of anonymity.
Rogi (patient) Kalyan Samiti ex-member, Subodh Mishra, however, blamed the hospital authorities for such a situation. “It is being said that the machines are not functioning. So how did the equipment develop problems when they have not been used on a single occasion,” Mishra asked. “It may be the firm is trying to wriggle away from its responsibilities to avoid being punished. Overall, it just goes to show how inept the hospital management is,” he added.
Angul DHH manager Debashis Das blamed the firm for the present situation. He said in spite of repeated requests, it is not carrying out its responsibilities properly. He said a report on the issue has been sent to the higher ups.
When contacted, ADMO (Medical) Dr Manas Ranjan Biswal admitted that the machines have not been used even once since their procurement. He termed the performance of the contractual firm as ‘pathetic’. “The contractor has been asked to file a report in this regard within 15 days. If they fail to do so, stringent action will be taken against it,” he asserted.
PNN
