In the field of medicine, hospital is a place where we are expected to spend most of our time. Fellow colleagues, nurses and attendants act as our family, patients as our guests, offices as our bedrooms and wards as our living rooms, hence it becomes our second home. If we think of it as our home then why don’t we treat it as one? Hygienic Situation in most of the hospitals needs serious attention, if the atmosphere is bad how you expect your patients to get well. In most of the cases patient’s condition worsen after entering the hospital. The situation is worse than pathetic. This is a very strong issue which is not just limited to the hospital but prevalent in the entire society. You might have heard heard that people, who go to government hospitals in the hope of free treatment, often come back with fresh infections, thanks to the unhygienic conditions of our government hospitals. The fact that odour is almost synonymous with these hospitals can't be neglected, this is because there is no proper ventilation which causes bad odour to emanate. Waste materials are scattered all around and untidy beds which are the direct source of contact with the patient have become a common sight. Crowded stinking wards and waiting rooms are a grim reminder of the unhygienic condition of our health institutions across not only in our own country but the whole south eastern states. A study conducted few years back on paediatric patients at PGI revealed that 93.4% cases of urinary tract infections originated in the hospital itself and this pointed towards the need for better infection control practices. We are talking about places where dustbins overflowing with various kinds of biomedical wastes are usually seen in the toilets. The toilets are in deplorable condition and major source of infection. Scores of patients use them daily and I’m sure these are not even cleaned twice a day. The scenario in the emergency ward speaks volumes about the gravity of the situation. Due to paucity of adequate space, you must have seen patients crying in pain lying on stretchers lined up on both sides of the corridors ;Some people show their concern for bringing down maternal and infant mortality, but the expectant mothers who come to these hospitals are always at risk, along with their new born, of contracting some infection or another. Why? All due to unhygienic state surrounding them. In some of the cases the visitors to the hospital are greeted by stray cats, dogs and filthy floors. We have often heard relatives of the victims blame the unhygienic conditions in the hospital for the continued deaths. Isn’t this too much? The point where unhygienic condition takes away the life of a patient instead of curing him. Patients are not the only victims here, they come and then leave. It’s the doctors too, who while treating patients also run at a higher risk of contracting infection."In unhygenic conditions, the clothes of a doctor or attendant are even more quickly contaminated by bacteria than in a modern hospital." In my view Sanitation and cleanliness are the most important things that can be added to a list of ‘don’t haves’ in all state-run hospitals in addition to the absence of equipment and staff which they highlight so often. Dirt, stench, stains, piles of garbage and stray animals are a common sight at government hospitals. It’s a very common sight that the authorities take note only when some minister or other higher official is scheduled to visit or complain and then, within a few days, all sanitary aspects are forgotten. No sanitation policy seems to work in these hospitals. It’s about time that that those responsible for the situation need to be shaken and woken up. Nothing can be more pathetic than life being lost due to such condition which has become breeding ground for mosquitoes, which in turn can cause diseases like malaria, dengue etc. Governmental run hospitals needs to take a cue from its counterparts in the private sector as far as matters of sanitation and are concerned, this will cost them nothing but might result in saving few lives. source
