VASCO: The broken window panes and crumbling doors at Chicalim Cottage Hospital are an open invitation for malaria and dengue.
Ironically, the patients who visit the hospital to get themselves cured from other ailments fear that they may suffer from malaria and dengue on account of being bitten by mosquitoes.
Though the hospital staff, doctors and other officials managing affairs of the Cottage Hospital have been genuinely making all efforts to ensure cleanliness in and around the hospital premises, they have failed in tackling the mosquito menace as the government is yet to grant its approval for repairing the broken doors and windows and as such, the hospital staff has pasted papers to cover the window panes.
Hospital sources, informed that since the work of new sub district hospital is in completion stage, the state administration is in no mood to get these broken windows and doors repaired, which in turn has left the patients and staff to fend for themselves with the mosquito menace. Sources informed that last year, six hospital staff suffered from dengue and now they fear of getting hit by the disease yet again.
Hospital sources attribute the mosquito menace at the hospital, which presently is flooded with patients, to the construction activities currently underway around the hospital premises.
“Until we shift to the new building, our problems will not be solved and such things would continue to haunt the patients and staff. Presently, due to broken windows, the male and female wards and toilets are infested by mosquitoes. Sadly, our requests for repairs have been pending due to non-approval from the higher-ups. We are scared and are trying our level best to take up precautionary measures to save the staff and the patients from getting contracted with malaria but since the existing premises is in bad shape, all our efforts have gone in vain” a hospital staff told Herald on the condition of anonymity.
