Collector inspects hospital facilities

— Photo: A. Shaikmohideen 
 
SURPRISE CHECK: Collector M. Jayaraman, left, inspecting the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital on Saturday.

TIRUNELVELI: Collector M. Jayaraman made a surprise visit to the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital in the morning of Saturday.

After the Collector received many complaints from the public on insanitary conditions prevailing at the hospital and non-availability of water in toilets and drinking water, Mr. Jayaraman made the visit to the hospital, situated just a few metres away from his official residence on North High Ground Road.

After visiting the administrative block, intensive care unit, emergency ward and others areas, he inspected the sources supplying water to the hospital. On seeing the dry wells, he asked the officials to sink new deep borewells at the earliest.

When the Collector happened to see the toilets close to the men ward remained closed, he asked the accompanying hospital officials to open the toilets. As he saw a good number of pigeons there, he asked the officials to clean the toilets immediately and put them into use.

Even as corporation officials comprising Commissioner K. Baskar, City Engineer K.P. Jai Xavier, Executive Engineer Narayanan Nair and others categorically told the Collector that the local body was giving the hospital 3.60 lakh litres of water a day, the doctors accompanying the Collector denied it, saying that they were getting only 30,000 litres of water from the corporation.

As the doctors tried to substantiate their claim, Mr. Jayaraman intervened to announce that the government had sanctioned a new scheme, costing about Rs. 6 crore, for bringing drinking water from Tamiraparani.

The Collector was upset on seeing soiled pillows, pillow covers, mattresses, furniture etc. On coming to know that the hospital had three vans to take the dead bodies, he announced that two more vehicles would be purchased soon. He told Dr. Kanagaraj to take steps to disburse salary to the contract workers in time as a complaint in this regard was brought to his notice during the inspection.

When the doctors repeatedly tried to cite “no-availability of funds” as a reason for the poor condition prevailing at the hospital, Mr. Jayaraman told them: “You need not worry about that as the district administration will soon ensure adequate funds for making this hospital patient-friendly”.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/09/27/stories/2009092752710300.htm