MARGAO
The Hospicio South Goa district hospital is back in the news, this time not over a shortage of beds or a surge in patients, but over the deteriorating state of sanitation facilities at the government-run premier hospital.
Around 30 to 40 per cent of toilets, urinals and washroom facilities at the hospital are currently affected by repair and maintenance issues. The problem has left patients, attendants and visitors with fewer functional sanitation facilities at Hospicio, particularly in high-footfall areas such as the casualty department and the medicine wards.
The spacious district hospital, commissioned around five years ago during the Covid-19 pandemic, was designed with extensive sanitation facilities across its floors. The project, executed by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) for the Directorate of Health Services, included what was considered quality sanitary infrastructure, with premium Jaguar sanitary ware installed at the hospital.
However, nearly half a decade after the facility became operational, the condition of several of these amenities has deteriorated, highlighting concerns over regular upkeep and maintenance.
Toilets out of bounds
The hospital is understood to have close to 100 toilets, urinals and washroom facilities spread across its various floors. According to hospital authorities, with a significant number currently unavailable for use, leaving patients, attendants and visitors with fewer functional facilities to use.
The situation is particularly acute in areas that experience heavy footfall, including the casualty department on the ground floor and the third floor, which houses the male and female medicine wards.
A visit to the casualty section found some of the toilets and urinals shut to users. Enquiries indicated that some of the facilities had been taken out of service because they were out of order and required repairs.
For a hospital catering to a large number of patients and visitors every day, the unavailability of such basic amenities can quickly turn into a major inconvenience, particularly in high-use areas such as the casualty department and medicine wards.
A senior official of the Hospicio district hospital administration acknowledged the problem and said that a sizeable number of toilets were currently facing repair-related issues. “Around 30-40 per cent of the toilets are having repair issues. The administration is on the job to fix the problem,” the official said.
The official said the hospital administration had chalked out both short-term and long-term measures to address the issue and ensure that patients and visitors do not continue to face inconvenience. He also acknowledged that the problem was more pronounced on the floors that cater to the highest number of users.
“We have found the problem acute on the floor housing the casualty and the third floor, which is playing host to the male and female medicine wards. One should understand that the casualty and the two medicine wards have more users than the other wards,” he said.
SOS to PWD
While the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) has no role to play at Hospicio after handing over the completed project to the Directorate of Health Services, the hospital management has now sent an SOS to the Public Works Department (PWD), seeking urgent intervention to take up the repair and maintenance of the toilets and washrooms.
With the architect of the South Goa district hospital, Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, now holding the PWD portfolio, hospital officials have expressed confidence that the repair and maintenance works will be taken up at the earliest.
To tide over the immediate crisis, the hospital administration has worked out both short-term and long-term measures to restore the non-functional sanitation facilities.
The hospital has received around Rs five lakh from the government towards the upkeep and maintenance of its sanitation facilities. The administration plans to utilise these funds to undertake minor repairs through the housekeeping agency, while the PWD will be approached to carry out the larger repair and maintenance works.
“The housekeeping agency will be asked to take up minor repair works wherever possible so that the toilets and urinals can be made functional. The PWD will take up the major repair and maintenance works,” a senior hospital official said.
The move is aimed at restoring as many toilets and urinals as possible in the short term, particularly in high-footfall areas such as the casualty department and the medicine wards, where the shortage of functional facilities is being felt most acutely.
Sources said the PWD is expected to first assess the extent of the repair and maintenance requirements at the South Goa district hospital. Following the assessment, the department is likely to initiate the process of floating a tender for carrying out the necessary works.
Health Minister's assurance
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has said he would discuss the sanitation issues staring at the Hospicio South Goa district hospital with Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Rajendra Borkar.
He gave the assurance during his recent visit to the city after his attention was drawn by the media to the state of affairs of the toilets at the hospital.
“I am unaware of the condition of the toilets. I will find out from the Hospicio Medical Superintendent the exact issue and how to address the issue on priority,” Rane added.
