Hyderabad: The Niloufer Children’s Hospital is facing complaints from the families of five pregnant women who died in a month’s time, and also from other patients. Stinking toilets, unhygienic urinals and dirty surroundings are earning Niloufer a bad name, raising questions about the fall in standards of health care in the state. Apart from medical negligence, Niloufer fails to maintain proper hygiene in the hospital. The hospital urinals are stinking. There is no proper drinking water facility, complain affected families. Standing near the foul smelling toilets for more than 10 seconds is a deadly experience.
The scenario at the ward is no better. Due to paucity of space, many patients are seen lying on the floor. Nasim Begum, 18, from Nagole, sister of one of the deceased, said, “We are from a poor background and the security guards charge us Rs 10 every time we enter the hospital. The hospital also fails to supply drinking water to us.’’
Hospital superintendent Dr. C Suresh Kumar responded, ’’We have a capacity of only 500 beds but sometimes the strength of the patients goes up to 800-1200. Due to this, it becomes difficult to maintain the facilities in proper shape. Even if our sanitary staff cleans the hospital often, it becomes dirty within a few hours of the cleaning. We have recently arranged proper drinking water facility at the hospital premises.’’
