MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish Kulkarni on Wednesday said all civic- and government-run hospitals must have dedicated committees to oversee cleanliness and hygiene. The bench further said that as on date hygiene and cleanliness must be the priority of all hospitals.
The bench was dealing with a PIL filed by a Pune-based NGO highlighting the issue of disposal of biomedical waste by hospitals. The petition stated that the waste was being dumped anywhere which can risk the lives of not only the patients, their kin and even of doctors and other staff of the hospital.
On Wednesday, when the matter was called out, the bench said it is high time, dedicated committees are set up in each and every hospital run by the BMC and also by the state.
"Each hospital must have a separate committee to oversee cleanliness. That is a must because large number of patients and relatives visit daily and thus there is a risk of getting infected," the bench observed.
"Hygiene must be maintained...We can't let people get infected," the judges said, adding, "Disposal of biomedical waste should be done properly."
The judges while sharing their personal experiences said they have seen that only the entrance and the ground floor along with the lift area is usually clean. "It shouldn't happen that beyond that, the moment we go on the first floor, everything is messy," the bench said.
The bench further noted, "We have seen relatives eat food in the corridors and throw the trash there. This should also stop at the earliest."
"Cleanliness and hygiene must now be the priority of all hospitals and authorities," the judges added.
The bench further shared the experience of Malegaon, wherein orders were passed by another bench of the HC to constitute a committee comprising of the local parliamentarian, commissioner of police, civic officials etc.
"Within 15 days of those orders the situation enhanced. The hospital then seemed to look like a private hospital. Impeccable cleanliness," the bench pointed out.
"Thus, we think even local politicians and elected representatives must step in and create awareness for cleanliness in the hospitals," the judges added, while adjourning the matter.
