Mumbai: Crappy toilets add to Cooper’s woes

Urinals in the toilets at Cooper Hospital looked like they had not been cleaned for days

Even as the city's new Additional Commissioner (Health), Dr Sudhakar Shinde, has tried to restore cleanliness at BMC-run health facilities, some still remain in subpar conditions. While the health department has been promoting the extensive cleaning efforts undertaken at King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEM) in Parel over the past month, other hospitals like RN Cooper Hospital in Vile Parle have been falling behind.

On a visit to Cooper Hospital's OPD building on Saturday, mid-day found the toilets there in an abysmal state. The western-style toilet on the ground floor was leaking, with faeces still visible in the commode. Meanwhile, the urinals in both toilets appeared as if they had not been cleaned for days. Further, there are no toilets in the hallways of all the six floors, and work was still ongoing in the one on the third floor.

Work on the third floor toilets was still underway

Abdul Javed Sheikh, 40, an AC repairman, was at the hospital with his wife. Both of them are dealing with health issues - Abdul came for an eye check-up, while his wife is suffering back problems. "I used the toilet once after arriving and told my wife to avoid using it if she could. Considering the large number of people visiting the hospital every day, we can understand why they are in bad condition," he said.

Also read: Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

The hospital's dean, Dr Shailesh Mohite, stated that a sanitation check was conducted two days ago. "A large number of people visit the OPD and tend to use the toilets very roughly. Some even end up damaging the flush," he said.

He added that the hospital is cleaned six times a day. Meanwhile, Dr Shinde told mid-day that action would be taken against hospitals that fail to maintain hygiene standards. "I have informed the dean. He will issue a show cause notice to the person responsible," he said.