TALE OF NEGLECT! TB HOSP RUNS OUT OF ADULT DIAPERS

Bedridden patients at the govt-run Sewri hospital forced to use hand-made cloth pads, which can lead to infection

A senior doctor said despite repeated complaints by the nurses and ayas, the hospital is yet to float the quota for the process of procuring diapers. Another senior doctor said usage of cloth rags can give rise to several types of infections among patients as the bedsheets are not changed on a regular basis

Lack of adult diapers in the government-run Tuberculosis hospital, Sewri has forced bedridden patients to use hand-made cloth pads which can cause severe infection to patients. A senior doctor said despite repeated complaints by the nurses and ayas, the hospital is yet to float the quota for the process of procuring diapers.

37-year-old Anjali Singh (name changed) who is undergoing treatment for last two months in the female ward of the TB hospital said due to her weakness she is not able to take a single step so that she can go to washroom alone.

“When I stand, my head spins and I can not reach washroom on time to release myself so, I was excreting on the bed only. It feels disgusting as I have to be on bed whole day on a dirty bed sheet. After seeing my condition, an aya made me a pad from cleaned clothes. But still it is very uncomfortable as it often makes the bed sheet dirty,” added Singh.

The hospital with a capacity of 1,000 beds has around 650 patients on an average. Out of which at least 100 of them are completely bedridden and require adult diaper as they can not afford to use the washroom in need. The hospital has an annual quota of around 75,000 adult diaper for the patients.

Dr Vijay Naringrekar, the medical superintendent of Sewri TB Hospital, said, “We need to procure the diaper at the local level and the course of procurement is in the process.”

A senior doctor said usage of cloth rags can give rise to several types of infections among patients as the bedsheets are not changed on a regular basis. “It can cause gynaecological infections and also bed sours as they keep lying on soiled bed-sheets. We have informed the hospital authority several times regarding it in the past one month,” added doctor. Dr Padmaja Keskar, the Executive Health Official of BMC, said she is not aware of such crisis in the hospital but will look into the matter immediately.