Srinagar, Jun 5: A video that shows unhygienic washrooms, corridors, and kitchen areas of an area, allegedly at SMHS Hospital Srinagar has gone viral over social media.
The video has sparked concern among stakeholders regarding the sanitation and infection control measures at the major healthcare facility.
The hospital administration said the video does not pertain to an area being managed by it, but an outsourced one.
The video that is being widely shared online opens with exterior shots of the hospital.
The person who has taken the video then moves inside to common utility facilities.
The footage shows visibly filthy surroundings, grimy sanitation fixtures, litter on the floor, muck around the sinks and poorly maintained equipment and interiors.
The narrator has further dirty and unkempt areas of what appears to be a ward.
What is especially concerning is the poor condition of the common toilets at the hospital.
The unacceptably dirty toilets and areas leading to toilets, show the poor maintenance of civic amenities at the hospital.
The video also captured the bundles of electric wires hanging overhead at the hospital.
The narrator has raised the concern of fire-hazard due to poor electric fittings, wondering why no attention is being paid to these basic cleanliness and safety standards at this hospital, which is the largest general specialty hospital in Kashmir. Heavily soiled waste bins, bins without lids and wards with hospital waste littered around have been highlighted.
The footage has triggered criticism from members of the public, with many expressing shock, while others lamenting the poor attention paid to cleanliness and upkeep at public hospitals.
Responding to the controversy, the Medical Superintendent of SMHS Hospital, DrAndleeb Bashir said the facility highlighted in the viral video had been “shut”.
“This is an outside pantry, which was maintained by an outsource,” she told Greater Kashmir.
“It has been vacated,” she said and refused to comment further.
An official at SMHS Hospital said the maintenance of toilets has been a lingering issue, while kitchen, pantry and other areas also remain unclean due to the sheer load of people at the hospital.
“We should have a good number of sanitation staff and regular maintenance of pipes and fittings, but it doesn’t happen,” he said.
The official said the funds for facelift of the hospital areas are also in short supply.
“It has been a long time since the toilets, especially in emergency areas, have been repaired,” he said.
The incident has brought focus on the quality of sanitation and maintenance services in major government hospitals.
Everyday, thousands of patients and attendants visit SMHS Hospital.
