Hygiene concerns emerge at govt hospital in Delhi as housekeeping staff calls for indefinite strike

An indefinite strike by the housekeeping staff since Tuesday has left Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra Hospital of Delhi in a miserable condition with littered floors, stinking toilets and undisposed biomedical waste. That too in the wake of dengue outbreak that has claimed 20 lives so far in Delhi.

Agitating against non payment of salaries, the housekeeping team refused to attend to their duties leaving the hospital in a complete mess. 

"We have not been paid for the last four months and it has become difficult for the employees to sustain their everyday expenses. There has been no cleaning work in the hospital since we stopped the work," Seema, an employee, told iamin on Wednesday.

Staffers who have been outsourced from a private company have also alleged the hospital administration to be indulging in corruption. Although the Medical Superintendent of the hospital Dr. Chandrakant denied the allegations and assured that things will be back to normal soon. 

"We are making some alternative arrangements for maintaining cleanliness. The bill for payment to the private company holding housekeeping contract is in process and salaries will be paid in a few days," assured Dr. Chandrakant.

With the dengue outbreak in Delhi, number of incoming patients has increased in the hospital, which makes the hospital even more dangerous as the unhygienic conditions here are a severe threat.

For more Hyper local stories click iamin.in