Hygiene matters: K-P’s largest hospital infects as it treats

Lack of cleanliness threatens both patients and visitors.

PESHAWAR:

The Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) has a lot to its credit, but maintaining basic hygiene standards is not one of them.

The largest healthcare provider in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) has shabby bed sheets and few waste bins, while empty syringes, blades and needles are seen strewn around.

Needles and blades thrown on the floor increase the chances of HIV-AIDS and Hepatitis C, said Dr Alamgir Khan from the medical A-ward. He added that old, torn bed sheets can cause MRSA, a dangerous infection which requires costly treatment.  “Poor hygiene conditions can cause multiple infections and diseases, including malaria and asthma, to both patients and visitors.”

Patients say the hospital is properly cleaned on Sundays, while on all other days only the dustbins are emptied. Shehzad, who was attending to a patient, said it’s difficult to sit in the wards because the bathrooms smell so much.

“I can’t use the bathroom because of the stench. No one cleans the toilets and I have to go outside the hospital when I need to go to the toilet,” said Adnan, a patient at Surgical C-ward.

“There are five small dustbins in the whole orthopedic ward, while all beds are in bad condition,” said another patient Muhammad Ghulam.

The situation is the same at the emergency, surgical and gynecology wards. “Yes, most wards are not properly maintained because we do not have enough sweepers,” said Sanitary Inspector Tariq Khan in his defence.

He added that there should be four sweepers in every ward, but right now there is only one person working in each of the two shifts. The janitors should work for three shifts like doctors and nurses, he suggested.



There are no dustbins in surgical wards A and B so all garbage is thrown on the floor.

An official from the Waste Management Committee, who requested not to be named, said that of the 240 sweepers only 163 are working as janitors, while others have been given clerical work.

Acting Public Relations Officer Hayat Khan refused to comment on the issue, saying he has resigned from his position and is not authorised to speak to the media.

DMS administrator Dr Jehangir Khan said that they have been provided with dustbins and syringe cutters but expressed ignorance about their numbers. About the toilet facilities, he said the administration has planned to construct three washrooms soon, saying 10 to 12 relatives accompany a patient which leads to poor hygienic conditions at the hospital. “One or two attendants are enough with a patient to ensure cleanliness and make things easy for us as well,” he added.



Around 4,000 patients come at the hospital daily and it is very difficult to keep the place clean because of the high number of patients and attendants, he said.

“The public does not care about keeping their surroundings clean, despite the fact that the hospital administration has provided all the necessary facilities. The hospital has also put up posters around the building to create awareness among people,” Jamil Shah said.

“We plan to construct a public washroom, water coolers and a waiting room,” Jehangir said.

LRH is the largest healthcare provider in K-P with 1,533 beds. Patients from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Afghanistan also come to LRH. The hospital was established in 1942 by Lord Reading and his spouse Lady Reading. It has received the most number of casualties during the ongoing militancy in the region.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2012.