PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The poor state of Gandhi Shatabdi Eye Hospital, which is part of Deen Dayal Upadhyay District Hospital, has raised significant health concerns for patients. Issues such as waterlogging in the basement parking and dampness on the building walls persist. Despite being designated as a district hospital, the condition of the facility has deteriorated. The walls of the hospital building exhibit dampness and damage along with the unsanitary conditions, including leaky sewerage, which pose a risk of infection to patients, necessitating urgent attention to address these concerns and ensure a safe environment.
In response to these issues, the hospital administration has claimed that maintenance work will commence soon.
A few months ago, when dengue cases were on the rise in Dehradun, reports of waterlogging in basements across the city, including at the Gandhi Shatabdi Eye Hospital, prompted the Health secretary to issue a show-cause notice to the Dehradun chief medical officer and the Principal Medical Superintendent (PMS) of the hospital Dr Manu Jain. An inquiry committee was set up to address the hospital’s concerns on tHealth secretary.
The PMS previously stated that the committee had investigated the matter and provided a temporary solution. However, they emphasised the need for a permanent solution, which includes conducting maintenance at the Gandhi Shatabdi Eye Hospital to address these issues effectively.
Acknowledging the ongoing concerns, both patients and their attendants have expressed their worries. Informing about the maintenance and permanent solutions, Jain admitted that the hospital administration recognises the deteriorating conditions of the building. He said that the civil engineers in the said committee, which was earlier established, identified several gaps at the hospital building. In response, a budget of Rs one crore was proposed for the building’s maintenance to the director general of Health. Jain confirmed that this process is underway and that maintenance of the building will commence soon.
Additionally, Jain said that the work of the State Referral Centre for differently abled individuals at the said hospital is in progress. Considering this, the hospital administration has decided to repair the leaky sewer system as part of the project, which will help resolve the waterlogging issues in the hospital parking area.
