The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Hospitals fret over plastic ban

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 16, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Hospitals fret over plastic ban

Staff Reporter

Too many visitors, too few facilities in major city hospitals

No dining rooms or rest rooms in hospitals
Public are not cooperative, complain authorities

Thiruvananthapuram: Prominent Government hospitals like the Medical College, SAT and the Women and Children hospital at Thycaud have begun creating awareness among patients and visitors on the scourge of plastic, as the Government prepares to enforce the ban on plastic bags in hospitals from September 1.

The ban on plastic bags is applicable to hotels also, which have been strictly warned not to give away food parcels in plastic carry bags. However, the hospital authorities are apprehensive about how they can monitor the ban, given the large number of visitors. Attempts on restriction on visitors were successful to a certain extent at the SAT hospital, in the wake of the infection outbreak during March-May this year. But other Government hospitals have not been so lucky.

The ban on plastic bags and lunch packs in hospitals had been announced earlier itself, following the SAT incident, after it was pointed out that lack of cleanliness and over crowding had contributed to the infectious environment in the hospital.

Waste segregation

Both MCH and SAT hospitals have a good system of segregation of waste at source as degradable waste, bio-medical wastes and plastic. Different coloured buckets have been placed in wards and at strategic places in the hospital for the same. However, people continue to throw the lunch remains along with plastic bags, creating problems for the cleaning staff.

Another problem is people sharing lunch packs in hospital corridors. However, people have few choices too, as there are no dining halls or rest rooms in these hospitals. Lunch packs had been banned in SAT hospital even before the infection outbreak. This had led to a spate of complaints from patients and visitors. In fact, when a legislative committee visited the hospital recently, people had complained about the ban on lunch packs. A waiting room for women is being planned at the SAT hospital so that lunch packs are not brought inside the hospital. When the new block at the Women and Children hospital at Thycaud was opened a few months ago, it was seen as the beginning of a make-over for all Government hospitals. Built at a cost of Rs. 7 crore, it was the first sophisticated hospital in the Government sector, with gleaming tiled floors and two toilets (with European closets) for every six cubicles.

The hospital authorities insisted that no plastic would be allowed inside and that food be brought to the hospital in containers. Only patients may have food inside the wards while the visitors had to use the dining hall. But there has been stiff resistance to this.

The public have been the least cooperative and despite the number of waste bins, lunch remains continue to be thrown out the window. In a months’ time, plumbers had to be called to clear blocked toilets. “It is as though the public believes that hygiene is important only in private hospitals,” sums up a doctor.

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