Poor sanitation of the district headquarters hospital here has become a cause of concern for patients and locals as they feel it could lead to spread of infection.
“We are extremely worried because the stench affects us. The hospital authorities need to do something about it,” said Apurba Naik, 50, who is admitted to the orthopaedic ward.
Biranchi Majhi, an attendant of a patient, echoed similar sentiments. “The hospital premises should be clean. But the authorities seem to have turned a blind eye to this aspect,” he said.
Sambalpur Bichar Manch, a social outfit, has threatened to launch a stir from May 2 if the issue is not addressed immediately. “Poor management and lack of initiative on part of hospital authorities have contributed to the unhygienic conditions,” said outfit’s convener Debasis Purohit.
Sources said the hospital produces nearly a quintal of general and biomedical waste every day. It does not have a waste management system. The biomedical waste is shifted to the waste treatment plant at VSS Medical College and Hospital, Burla. But garbage dumped on the premises remains an eyesore.
Hospital manager Sudeep Dutta said, “We depend on municipality staff to clean it. On days when they do not show up it remains. But things have changed due to the administration’s efforts.”
