PONDA: Things seem to be turning from bad to worse at the Ponda Sub-district Hospital, where the overflowing sewerage tank at main entrance has been welcoming patients and those visiting the hospital with unbearable stench, with the dirty water spreading everywhere.

The unhygienic conditions, which have been witnessed for some time now has been causing people great hardships and discomfort. 

In fact, Ponda Sub-district Hospital was in the news for the acute shortage of not only doctors, but also medicines.

For the past eight days, the sewerage tank has been overflowing just at the main entrance, causing hardship to patients and their relatives. In fact the problem has been in the news for months now, but nobody seems to be keen to find a solution.

The sewerage water has been overflowing from the two-wheeler parking area, where sewerage water overflows from the main gate to the main road. The stench emanating from the sewerage water too is unbearable and one is surprised how a hospital that has to maintain high-levels of sanitation and cleanliness, has failed to address the problem on a priority basis.

RTI Activist Viraj Sapre pointed out that for the past eight days the tank has been overflowing again, with stench spreading all over the area. 

The unhygienic condition seems to have affected children, pregnant women and other patients coming to the hospital, who face the risk of additional sickness due to the utmost dirty conditions, the effect of which is seen in the wards in the hospital too, as people with wet and dirty footwear carry it right inside the hospital.

It is pertinent to note that the Ponda hospital caters to thousands of patients on a daily basis. Patients, relatives and those visiting the hospital are irked over the hardship they have to encounter due to this unaddressed problem. 

Many have questioned the lethargic attitude of the concerned authorities, specially the PMC and the Visiting Committee. Besides, people have also questioned the silence of the four MLAs and ministers from Ponda taluka, who seem to be representing the people, but have failed to address their grievances.

Efforts to contact the doctor who has been given charge of the hospital proved futile, as he did not want any media interaction.

However, after repeated questioning, the hospital staff on duty responded saying they had received complaints regarding the overflowing of sewerage tank and the matter was now with the higher authorities.

Sources pointed out that the water from the sewerage chambers gets accumulated in the parking area, which has of late turned into a mosquito breeding ground. 

The sewage stink and foul odour has been causing inconvenience and unease to patients as well as people visiting the hospital. 

Incidentally, this problem was witnessed a few months ago and had been solved temporarily by availing the services of soil tankers. However, people point out that unless a permanent solution was found things would carry on like this. Sources said only the provision of proper sewerage tanks would solve the problem and haphazard attempts would not yield any results.

The RTI activist also emphasised that the visiting committee has been inactive for several months and insisted that social workers should be included in visiting committee to improve the medical facilities at the hospital. 

Recently no meetings have been held by the committee to discuss the problems pertaining to the hospital functioning. 

Sapre said Health Minister Vishwajit Rane should visit the hospital to take stock of the situation, discuss the problems faced by the people and provide better facilities. 

The activist also pointed out at wrongs happening at the hospital, saying that the Hospital was asking patients to conduct X-ray from private hospitals and added that he was asked by officials to take an X-ray from a private hospital. He questioned if the X-ray machines were indeed not functioning and was curious why the machines were not repaired or replaced.

Sapre said there was a great shortage of doctors and medicines in the Ponda hospital and in cases of severe complications, the Sub District hospital instantly referred patients to the Goa Medical College and Hospital at Bambolim for further treatment.