Clean India fails to shake up dirty hospital canteen

A poster at the entry to Safdarjung Hospital burns ward OPD exhorts employees to participate in the Clean India mission, but it seems the message has not percolated down to those working in the hospital’s own canteen.

On Monday, bricks could be seen stacked up to serve as a makeshift stove in the canteen and the drinking water jugs were corrugated with clearly visible black stains.
“The canteen worker keeps bread slice on that bare, unhygienic concrete slab before serving it to patients,” said Rakhi Gupta, a burn patient’s attendant, pointing to a table strewn with egg shells and bread crumbs.

“We have to drink water from a dirty jug,” she said.Burns patients run high risk of contracting infection in unhygienic conditions. And for patients who need to go to the canteen to eat, every minute spent there means taking a life-threatening risk.

“The doctor told me to avoid dirty places. I came here to eat, but I can’t touch anything. I haven’t eaten anything since morning,” Naresh Saini, a burns patient, said, nursing his bandaged hand.

Doctors advise burns patients to keep away from unhygienic environment, as external factors, such as touching dusty utensils, tend to aggravate the injuries.A hospital officer said the canteen’s contract had expired and the existing vendor was on his way out.

“The canteen was served a notice some eight months ago to vacate the space after its term expired. But the canteen authorities approached the Delhi High Court for renewal of their term. It has now been asked to vacate the area in the next two months,” Safdarjung Hospital Medical Superintendent Rajpal said.

Admitting that the hospital authorities were aware of the unhygienic conditions at the canteen, he said fresh tenders will be floated once the space is vacated.  
Till the time the authorities in the hospital get their act together, hundreds of patients in the central government-run institution will be forced to live under the threat of acquiring infections.

Soon after the launch of the Clean India Mission, there was a buzz in the city’s central government hospitals that Prime Minister Narendra Modi might make a surprise visit.
While RML Hospital and other institutions launched intensive drives, Safdarjung Hospitals – with the biggest burns ward in the city – seems to have lagged behind.