COIMBATORE: A block in the underground drainage channel resulted in mortuary waste from Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) flow out on Saturday evening. People panicked after seeing blood flowing out of the sewer. Sanitation staff of the hospital cleaned the blockage using machinery and sprinkled disinfectant in the area as a temporary measure. The hospital administration has asked the Public Works Department to clear the block and they are fixing the issue. Dean Dr A Nirmala, told TNIE that the entire drainage system of the hospital would be revamped soon.
According to sources, after completion of post mortem examinations, sanitary workers clean the mortuary situated on Arts College Road behind the hospital, in the evening, and the waste is discharged into the common underground drainage system.
On Saturday evening, waste accumulated in the UGD channel and flowed on the road due to a blockage. “The underground sewage channel of the hospital was constructed several decades ago and is prone to blockage often. The dean has been informed of the issue on several occasions and she has conveyed it to her superiors as well as to the Public Works Department. The problem would only be solved by a complete renovation of the sewage system inside the hospital premises,” said a doctor from the forensic science department.
Dean A Nirmala said the state government has allocated Rs 9.75 crore for laying new roads and constructing sewage channels in the hospital premises. “The sewage overflow has been addressed temporarily, and the PWD officials have been asked to look into the issue. The road and sewage works are expected to begin soon,” Nirmala said.