Rooting out rats and other pests

The clean up drive initiated by the Chennai Corporation to eradicate rodents and pests from the city’s hospitals seems to have been mildly successful nearly five months after its launch. The Saidapet Government Hospital (SGH) shares its compound with a temple, beside which lies a pile of used gloves and syringes. The 32-bed hospital has a staff of 36 and treats 600 to 1000 patients daily. Dr M. Kanakalakshmi, Resident Medical Officer at SGH says that she is stringent about keeping the hospital clean. “The corporation comes twice a month to carry out fogging, bleaching and rodent control,” she says, pulling out a record book she keeps. The last fogging was carried out on January 19.

As per the records, on a single day 20 rats were caught in September. Regarding dogs, she says some of the hospital cleaners are attached to the stray dogs and they keep returning despite constant reminders and warnings. However she says that often it is a half-hearted measure on the part of the corporation.

“Only when an emergency arises do the corporation officials do anything. If it weren’t for the incident in August, none of this clean up would have begun.”

She goes on to say that she has to constantly be at their backs to get work done and has decided to deal directly with higher up authorities to improve the sanitation issues.

On August 28, 2012, the body of an infant was found with its face disfigured at the Government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children. The infant’s family suspected it had been bitten off by rats and lodged a complaint. The case sparked public outrage and led to the suspension of nine hospital officials.

In response the Government launched Operation Rodent, to eradicate rodents and pests in Chennai’s Government hospitals.

Dr D. Vettrivel, Resident Medical Officer at the Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital, says that the corporation does not handle sanitation at the hospital.

“It is not the corporation’s responsibility,” he says. “The hospital leases out fumigation and pest and rodent control to private parties.”

A sanitary inspection is carried out daily by the hospital authorities. He could not provide any records about the last clean up at the hospital.

“The health inspectors are supposed to check the sanitation of the hospital, but they only turn up occasionally,” he says. Incidentally, a health inspector attached to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital was suspended in August for negligence. “The incinerator at the hospital has been shut for 20-25 years,” Vettrivel said. “Therefore, we segregate the bio medical wastes and send it out.”

Although the main buildings are well maintained, the casualty department and OP wards behind are strewn with litter. This is probably due to the high footfall in the hospital. On a daily basis nearly 10,000 cases are treated here.

Parvathy, a resident of Perungudi, said, “The hospital needs to be cleaned more regularly. There is too much garbage lying outside.”

At the Kasturba Gandhi Hospital, regular visits from the corporation have become the norm. “Earlier the hospital was dirty, now they have kept it very clean. Even the buildings have been freshly painted,” says Subaina, whose son is being treated for typhoid here.

“The corporation carries out fumigation and rodent control twice in a month,” said one of the nurses. It is evident that the authorities are serious about keeping the premises clean.

(Cinthya worked at Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd, Nasik, prior to joining ACJ. She did B. Tech at the National Institute of Technology, Silchar, Assam.)

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