With much hype given to ‘Swach Bharat Abhiyan’ campaign, the historical Leprosy Hospital in Srinagar is craving for a separate toilet facilities for its female staff. The already existing make shift toilets that have been erected are not fit to be used, raising serious questions over the efficiency of the campaign and the money spend over it.

The hospital is having a temporary block where make shift toilets have been erected, which are mostly used by the male staff of the hospital, giving a tough time to the female staff and workers in the hospital.

An official, who wished not to be named, said that female staff at the hospital is facing huge inconvenience due to the non availability of toilets, “the toilet blocks that have been erected are not fit to use and there is no privacy due to the fact that it is being used to by male staff as well.”

Pertinently, the not-so-serious attitude also points fingers over the functioning of the Health Department that has forgotten the hospital on the banks of Nigeen Lake.

The residents of the adjoining leprosy colony said that people from SMC came once and stressed on cleanliness, they ran brooms here and there and then left, however, “they did not go into the hospital compound to see if there are any proper lavatory facilities,” the residents said. 

The recently launched ‘Swachta He Sewa’ cleanliness campaign has also turned farce, as the campaigners did not bother to come to the hospital and inspect the status of sanitation at the hospital.

The official while talking to ‘Kashmir Vision’ said that they authorities have turned a blind eye towards the hospital and it seems that that the hospital does not exist at all.

“There has been no official attention toward the hospital that has been forgotten totally,” an official said.

Interestingly, it was during the last year when any official from the Health Department visited the hospital to take stock of situation at the hospital.

“Last year, Director Health Services visited the hospital and from then on there has been no official visits to the hospital, except CMO, Srinagar, who is frequent in his visits,” the sources said.

With officials in the district administration continuing with the cleanliness drives, the hospital stands alone.

Guest