Govind Sharma
JAMMU, June 20: To provide clean and hygienic conditions to patients as well as their attendants, Government has outsourced cleanliness of bathrooms and toilets of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu, and SMGS Hospital for which the Government will have to bear an extra burden of about Rs 4.25 lakh per month.
Sources said that the initiative was taken by the GMCH administration on the advice of Health and Medical Education Minister, Bali Bhagat, who got the idea of outsourcing of toilets and bathrooms from District Police Line Jammu.
“The condition of toilets and bathrooms of Government hospitals, particularly in GMCH Jammu and SMGS Hospital, Jammu, where patient load is much more than any other hospital, was worse. The wash basins, washrooms and toilets used to remain choked emitting foul smell, forcing the patients and attendants to use Sulabh Souchalaya within the premises of these hospitals”, sources said adding, that the present manpower available with the Medical College has failed to give desired results and therefore concerned over the issue, the GMCH administration in consultation with concerned Ministry decided to outsource the cleaning of toilets and washrooms of the Medical college and SMGS Hospital, to provide clean and hygienic sanitary services to the patients.
They said recently the GMCH administration entered into two agreements with Sulabh International, a social service organization; one for taking over the job of sanitation in Medical College and other for SMGS Hospital while the proposal to sign another agreement for Super Speciality Hospital, Jammu is in the pipeline.
Sources said that according to the two signed agreements, the concerned agency will be paid Rs 500 per month for cleaning each washbasin and Rs 1150 for each bathroom and a same amount for each Water Closet (Flush Toilet). In this way the GMCH administration will have to bear an extra burden of Rs 2.5 lakh per month for SMGS Hospital and Rs 1.75 lakh per month for Medical College, for cleanliness purpose. The contracts have been signed for a period of one year, the sources further said, adding that the contracts can be terminated at any point of time if the services of the agency are not found satisfactory.
When contacted, Principal, GMCH Jammu, Dr Zahid Geelani, admitted that they recently signed two agreements with Sulabh International, for maintaining cleanliness in toilets and bathrooms of SMGS Hospital and Medical College. He said in GMCH we have outsourced cleaning of toilets and bathrooms of only wards and emergency unit while in SMGS Hospital, all the bathrooms and toilets of the new building as well as wards have been outsourced and if we get good results the remaining toilets and bathrooms of the hospitals will also be handed over to the concerned agency for cleanliness.
When asked where they will use the services of manpower available with them, he said that they have limited Safai Karamcharis available with them which will be used for cleaning remaining toilets and bathrooms besides brooming and wiping of floor of the hospital buildings.
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