Piled-up garbage right next to the entrance of the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital (KMCH) and the nursing college is adding to the miseries of patients and shop owners here. The stench emanating from the pile is also spoiling the appetite of many who arrive at the Hospital Development Society’s free food supplying center. Though the staff, who serve food here, have submitted many requests to remove the waste, no action has been taken so far.
“The garbage here is a serious problem for us. Crows and other birds carry the garbage and deposit near our kitchen and other areas.
As the waste is from the hospital, chances are very high that it may cause the spread of diseases. Last time we had given a complaint to the superintendent and the place was cleaned up. But after sometime, the garbage pile reappeared,” said Sreedhar M, a staff.
Patients also complain that the stench emanating from the garbage is intolerable. “We need to cover our noses inside the hospital. Due to the stench, we cannot even have food as it causes nausea.” The hospital cleaning staff say that the spot is assigned for dumping waste. “Hospital authorities have to provide us an alternative site for dumping waste. Now we have no other option but to dump waste here,” said Suseela, a cleaning staff.
The health supervisor at the hospital, on the other hand, denied the spot being assigned for dumping waste. “It’s not the hospital cleaning staff, but somebody else from outside who are dumping waste there at night. From June 1 onwards, we will assign a security guard to take care of this,” said Kuttan K P, Health Supervisor at the Medical College. He also said that the hospital cleaning staff dump only dried leaves there, as it is not possible to burn them every day. “Food waste and other organic wastes are being dumped there by some people from outside and we will take strict action against them,” added Kuttan.