Patna: Patna civil surgeon Pramod Jha, who was on a suprise visit to the sub-divisional hospital in Danapur on Monday, complained of unhygienic conditions in the labour room.

The condition was no good outside the hospital's operation theatres (OTs) or on the premises. Jha pulled up hospital authorities and asked them to immediately address the cleanliness issue, sources said.

Health minister Mangal Pandey had recently asked the civil surgeon to conduct monthly inspections at state-run hospitals.

"The dustbin was not properly placed in the labour room," Jha said. "Labour room should be infection-free otherwise newborns can catch infections. Also, I found filth strewn outside the OT and on the campus. I've asked the hospital administration to take the outsourcing agency looking after sanitation to task. I've also asked the authorities to take care of sanitation in the main areas of the hospital, including labour room and OT."

"We immediately took steps to carry out Jha's order," hospital deputy superintendent Ashok Kumar Singh said. He, however, spoke of the challenging conditions under which the doctors at the health facility were working.

"The hospital's emergency building was handed over to the contractor in an incomplete condition," Ashok said. "We are somehow running an emergency wing in the building. The public works department has not taken care of the problem despite writing to it several times. Also, we face a staff crunch. Around 7-8 doctors have been appointed in other health facilities, including Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) and Rajendra Nagar Hospital. The hospital's main surgeon has also been deputed at some other facility till February. Deputation of doctors at other health facilities needs to be stopped. Otherwise, the hospital cannot function properly."

He said the hospital required diagnostic facilities and a number of basic medicines.