: A brown broom, green wiper, polythene bags with wrappers fill the commode in a washroom on the first floor of Srinagar’s tertiary care Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) hospital. Blue, white and beige clothes hang from the flush tank. The washroom as per hospital staff has been out-of-use for the past 18-months.
On the ground floor near the resuscitation centre, Saleema Jan (57) is waiting in the corridor outside the women’s toilet. The two toilets in the women’s section are vacant, but Ms. Jan is afraid to use them because the bolts, like in most of the toilets in the facility, are not working.
The doors of these toilets are mostly broken at the bottom, making them partially see-through, and the absence of latches makes it impossible to bolt them from the inside. This stopped Ms Jan from using the washroom as she waited for her husband who was out to get medicines, so he could keep guard outside while she was inside, Ms Jan said. These washrooms are near Triage on the ground floor, and ironically, the age-old metallic toilets, still in use, have worn down over time.
Many of them no longer have footrests, making it difficult for patients or attendants to maintain a proper stance while attending to nature’s call. Patients who are being treated upon in Medical and Surgical Emergencies and those in the resuscitation ward have to use or to be precise enough, struggle in these washrooms. As per officials, over 3500 people visit the 890-bedded health facility on a daily bas.