Srinagar, Apr 14: Patients admitted in Valley’s only children healthcare institute, G B Panth hospital have developed respiratory and skin problems due to the dust emanating from the ongoing renovation works in wards and corridors.
 The attendants of patients admitted inside the general pediatric wards 6 and 7 of unit III complain that their children who were already suffering from the diseases, contracted more health problems due to the dust pollution. “My child was suffering from an ear ailment, but now he has started coughing due to the inhalation of dust,” said an attendant.
 He said his child had been admitted from the last 15 days during which the dust pollution had wreaked havoc inside the health centre. “With masons cutting ceramic tiles by machines in the corridors and wards where work is going on, huge dust clouds are formed which pollute the air inside the wards where patients are admitted,” he said adding the patients’ inhale the polluted air due to which they had suffered immensely.
 He said the condition of the patients suffering from asthma had also deteriorated further due to inhalation of dust particles.
 The attendant said some patients had also developed skin irritation due to the dust. “Smaller children admitted in the wards have developed skin problems due to the dust from tiles,” he said adding the doctors had been intimated about the increasing pollution and its negative impact on the patients’ health.
 He said the attendants of patients moving in and outside the wards for getting medicine and other eatables had to cover their nose and mouth with cloth. “Some of the attendants have also developed respiratory problems due to the dust pollution,” he said adding the doctors visiting the wards for routine rounds were also seen covering their faces with masks to counter the pollution.
 The renovation, going on in the second floor is a few meters away from the Intensive Care Unit. “The Unit is very sensitive and anyone going inside has to keep his shoe out. But the dust emanating on the floor can be life threatening for the infants and other kids undergoing treatment inside the ward,” a pediatrician said adding the masons should have been cutting these tiles outside the hospital structure to avoid inconvenience to the patients.
 According to another pediatrician, the dust from ceramic tiles can aggravate the problem of patients suffering from asthma. “The patients could develop respiratory disease and those suffering from asthma, their problems could be more aggravated,” he said, adding the infants and kids with sensitive skin could also develop skin irritation.
 He said lack of proper ventilation made things worse in the hospital. “With the windows totally closed, the dust gathered inside the corridors making the things worse,” he said.
 When contacted, the hospital medical superintendent, Dr Qaiser said, “The tiling has been done to improve the sanitation and it’s almost done.”

Lastupdate on : Thu, 14 Apr 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 IST