Garbage dumped on VSS campus at Burla. Telegraph picture

Sambalpur, Sept.7: Poor sanitation at Veer Surendra Sai (VSS) Medical College and Hospital in Burla has emerged as a major concern for patients.

One can see garbage dumped at various places in the hospital. “Though the sanitation work of the hospital has been outsourced to a private firm, there is still lack of cleanliness. Sanitation should be the priority of the hospital, but unfortunately it is being neglected,” said Litu Patra, a local resident.

“The hospital authorities should take prompt action to clean the paediatric ward as children are more prone to infection,” Patra said.

“The drains on the hospital campus are chocked. I have also seen the attendants cook food just outside the wards. The unhygienic conditions are posing a number of problems,” said Binod Patra, an attendant of a patient.

“People come here to get cured, but the garbage on the hospital campus will lead to other diseases. The hospital authorities should be serious about providing a hygienic atmosphere,” he said.

The patients of psychiatric, radiotherapy, paediatric, gynaecology and other wards are facing problems because of the poor sanitation.

“The sanitation work of the of the hospital has been given to a private firm. A lot of money is being spent on it. But conditions have not changed. The patients are suffering because of the inattentiveness of the authorities concerned. They should take measures to keep the hospital clean,” said Chetan Agrawal, a local resident.

“This is an important hospital of western Odisha. Thousands of people from across western Odisha depend on it. Considering the importance of the health centre, the authority should take immediate measures to keep the hospital clean,” Agrawal said

Superintendent of the VSS hospital L.K. Dash said: “We will sort out the sanitation problem of the hospital soon. Cleaning work is being carried out twice a day.”