DHQ hospital in a shambles

Videos showing unhygienic conditions have surfaced on social media

BAHAWALNAGAR:

The District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Bahawalnagar, the largest and central government hospital in the district, is facing a severe crisis due to negligence, poor sanitation, and inadequate administration.

According to patients and their attendants, the hospital's wards are infested with cats, rats, cockroaches, mosquitoes, flies, and bed bugs, with videos showcasing these conditions circulating on social media.

One video clip shows a cat dragging a dead cockroach with its paws in a ward. Other visuals depict family members of patients swatting mosquitoes and bed bugs while blood-stained bed bugs are seen scattered on the floor.

The patients and their attendants expressed concerns that the unhygienic and germ-infested environment is likely to worsen the health of patients. "This hospital does not appear like a healthcare facility. On one side, there are sick patients, and on the other, rats, cats, and bed bugs — where are we supposed to go?" a patient's attendant complained.

According to sources, unauthorised persons interfere in hospital matters.

"These persons give orders to the staff without any authority, hinder patient care, and consider themselves the owners of the hospital," a staff member revealed on condition of anonymity. The staff claims that the top officials' focus is on positive documentation rather than patient welfare or cleanliness.