"We came here for treatment expecting a better medical service but the foul smell spread over the hospital area is making me sick. It is unbearable," said Sundar Sharma, husband of a patient admitted here.
Just like Sunder, elderly patients admitted at the geriatric ward, situated just beside the maternity ward, are also finding it hard to tolerate the smell. The special ward was opened for the convenience of the elderly but the smell means there is no respite for the suffering patients. A pothole filled with contaminated water right in front of their medical ward gives them a headache, they say. The pothole is a result of continuous leakage from the sewage pipe connected to the toilet in the maternity ward.
"I don't have money for treatment so I came here after learning that the hospital provides free treatment to the elderly," said one of the older patients while blocking his nose with his fingers.
Hospital authorities have claimed that the problem is going to be solved soon. Hospital Management Committee Chairperson Bijay Subedi claimed that a safety tank is being built to connect the sewerage pipe with the toilets.
The hospital produces a truckload of medical waste on a daily basis but the authorities lack the means to manage the waste on its own. The hospital sends the untreated and sometimes harmful, waste to the municipality's dumping site, paying the municipality Rs. 3000 a month.
When asked about this, Subedi responded that the hospital is currently deliberating whether to install high tech equipments to handle the waste more hygienically. Yet, many people remain upset at the inaction of the government. "How can we get rid of infectious diseases when the authorities responsible to raise awareness on the importance of sanitation and hygiene themselves litter with such harmful waste?'' questioned Gobinda Shrestha, a local resident.
Related story
Waling Municipality: Making the best out of waste
