SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, July 8: Heavy rains on Sunday evening made different wards of the government-owned Shahid Nirmal Mahto Medical College Hospital (SNMMCH) Dhanbad swimming pool for patients and doctors.
Basement-based medicine and surgery wards are the most affected where knee-deep water has logged compelling patients to be confined in bed while doctors and nursing staff have to wade through dirty water to attend to them.
Doctors of the hospital admitted that long time water logging in the wards can cause infection to admitted patients
SNMMCH principal cum superintendent Dr Jyoti Ranjan Prasad said that water logging in the wards is an inherent problem as the hospital is built on a pond. Drainage of the surrounding Bastis enters into the wards which can’t be stopped.
“However, I have asked the engineering department to bring out a de-watering solution on a priority basis as patients are suffering,” said Dr Prasad.
Also Read- Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren wins trust vote
Medicine department HoD Prof (Dr) UK Ojha who had to change dress for a round of ward on Sunday late evening as well as on Monday morning (today) said that water logging is of course dangerous for patients but in lack of space in the hospital, he has no alternative to shift them.
Admitted patients face sheer hardship in attending washrooms under knee-deep water. “I have no option but to live in such a condition as I can’t afford a private hospital,” said a patient of Rajganj.
High Court took cognizance in 2016
Eight years ago on August 22, 2016, a similar water logging situation appeared in Patliputra Medical College Hospital (now SNMMCH) Dhanbad. The High Court bench comprising the then Chief Justice Virender Singh and Justice S Chandrashekhar took Suo Moto cognizance of water logging in the wards on August 23 and directed the Deputy Commissioner (A Dodde) to submit a report within a week.
DC set up committee in 2016
In the wake of the HC directive the then Deputy Commissioner A Dodde set up a high-level team under the then probationary IAS officer Madhvi Mishra ( who is at present DC of Dhanbad) to solve that problem. The engineering department de-watered the wards but did not make permanent arrangements.
Interestingly present DC Mishra had five days ago made a sudden inspection of SNMMCH and followed by ADM (law and order) Hema Prasad on Saturday but no hospital authority brought the issue of seepage of drainage water in wards in cognizance of district administration.
Also Read- Jharkhand Weather: Monsoon becomes weak, light to moderate rain forecast today
