The Hindu 17.12.2009
Municipal workers dump garbage at hospital entrance; patients, doctors worst affected
Staff Reporter
— PHOTO : G. KARTHIKEYAN
Heaping protest: Garbage being thrown by municipal workers at the entrance of Government Hospital in Dindigul on Wednesday.
DINDIGUL: Large quantum of garbage was thrown at the south gate of the Government Hospital preventing patients from entering into it on Wednesday morning, thanks to a persistent cold war between the municipal sanitary workers and the government headquarter hospital workers.
Out patients and doctors were the worst affected. Out patient ward, Ortho ward, Office of the Resident Medical Officer, AIDS counselling centre were located very close to this south gate. No one cleared the garbage for over four hours.
Eye witnesses, mostly autorickshaw drivers alleged that municipal sanitary workers collected garbage scattered near the hospital compound and dumped it on the south entrance intentionally.
When contacted, the sanitary workers stated that they had been appealing to the hospital staff and workers to dump all wastes into the two big dumpers kept near the south gate. But they had been throwing wastes around the dumpers forcing municipal workers to collect it and dump it again everyday. People coming to hospital too threw food waste and empty food packets around the dumper only. No one had the patience to throw wastes into the dumper, they deplored.
Unable to tolerate the foul smell emanating from it, van operators and autorickshaw drivers repeatedly complained to the municipality to clean the waste scattered around the dumper.
The municipality too sent letters and reminders to the hospital authorities to advise its staff to dump the wastes into the dumper and not to throw them around the dumpers. The hospital workers and public were reluctant and repeated the same practice.
Tired of collecting the scattered garbage everyday morning from around the dumpers, the sanitary workers removed wastes in the dumper safely and threw all the scattered waste at the entrance of the south gate to express their protest and anger. Municipal officials informed that the hospital showed scant respect to their genuine request.
In the meanwhile, the district administration advised the hospital authorities to initiate stern action against erring hospital sanitation workers. Later hospital workers pushed the waste to a side of the road to enable the public to walk. At last, the wastes were removed.
