Srinagar: The J&K government has devised a criteria to keep all the health care institutions junk-free across J&K while instructions have been notified for the general upkeep of the hospitals and improvement of the toilets.
The move comes after the J&K Chief Secretary (CS) Dr Arun Kumar Mehta allotted deliverables to all the administrative departments including Health and Medical Education Department (H&ME) and to be completed within the prescribed time frame.
In wake of this, a review meeting was chaired by the Principal Secretary to the Government H&ME department on July 20.
Notably, an order has been issued by the H&ME department wherein a criteria has been notified to keep all the hospitals junk-free.
An order to this effect has been issued by the H&ME department wherein directions have been issued to all the heads of the health institutions to ensure that hospitals are declared junk-free, within two months.
The government has ordered that no junk material should be kept in patient care areas and instruction have been issued to check unused and condemned articles, besides outdated records are kept in the nursing stations, OPD clinics and wards
“No junk material should be kept in open areas and corridors. The concerned staff should check if unused or condemned equipment, vehicles are kept in the corridors, pathways, under the stairs, open areas, rooftops and balcony,” the order reads. The H&ME has ordered that no junk material should be kept in the critical service area and the staff should ensure that no unused articles, old records are kept in the Labour room, injection room, dressing room and operation theatre,” the order reads.
As per the criteria devised by the government, hospitals should have demarcated space for keeping condemned junk material and teh hospitals have been asked to check for availability of a demarcated and secured space for collecting and storing the junk material before its disposal.
As per the criteria, the hospitals have been asked to check if it has drafted its condemnation policy or has got one from the state.
“Check whether they are complying with it,” it reads.
The government has further ordered that hospitals should have committees to condemn junk material. “Check if the hospital has a committee for condemnation of the junk material and also check when the last meeting was held in this regard,” the order reads.
The government has impressed upon all the Heads of the Departments of the H&ME department to implement the criteria in all healthcare institutions on an immediate basis.
“So the things that are considered to be unserviceable or unrepaired, can be removed from the hospitals within two months in order to make all healthcare institutions junk free and achieve the target as prescribed in the deliverables within time,” the government order reads.
“It is impressed that an action taken report in this regard should be submitted to the administrative department, as per the prescribed deadlines,” it reads.
Moreover, the government has notified various steps for upkeep of the hospitals besides improving the toilet facilities in these health care institutions across J&K.
The government has issued instructions that no dirt, grease, stains should be in the check circulation area and it should be ensured that there should be no dirt or dust on floors and top of corridors, waiting area, stairs, roof top of any area of the hospitals.
“There should be no cobwebs, bird nests. Check that the roof, walls and corners of the corridors have no cobwebs and bird nests,” the order reads.
The government has devised a criteria that corridors should be cleaned twice in the day with a wet mop and corridors must be rigorously cleaned with scrubbing once in a month.
“No foul smell should be in the toilets. Check some of the toilets randomly in indoor and outdoor areas for foul smell. Ensure that toilets have running functional cistern water and the cleaning and water staff should be advised to operate cistern taps besides sinks and cistern are cleaned regularly,” the order reads.
The heads of the institutions have been instructed to ensure that the hospitals have availability of closed drainage besides keeping a check if there is any open drain in the hospital premises.
“Hospitals should have a closed drainage system. If the hospital’s infrastructure is old and it is not possible to create a closed drainage system, the open drains should be properly covered,” the order reads.