Unhygienic, unhealthy city hospitals

THE information is so shocking that most of the Dhaka’s hospitals do not comply with the Tobacco Control Act. A recent study conducted by National Heart Foundation Bangladesh last year found that tobacco is used in most of the hospitals while the `Smoking Free Area’ stickers are also absent. The findings of the survey were disclosed at a press conference at the National Press Club on Monday. The study was conducted on 51 hospitals. Of them, 49 were public and two private run establishments. It was seen that people were smoking at 71 per cent of the hospitals, including their premises, in-door and outdoor departments, staircases, balconies as well as at the points of entries and exits. Not only that, evidence of smokeless tobacco use were found at 65 per cent hospitals as people were seen chewing tobacco with betel leaf spitting here and there inside the hospitals.
The study also found that eight per cent of the hospital administrations did not even know about the stipulations in the Tobacco Control Act. Besides, 53 per cent did not know about the guidelines for the hospitals to follow the law. As a result, tobacco products were found selling on the compounds of 13.7 per cent of the hospitals, tobacco vendors were found on the compounds of 11 per cent of the hospitals and tobacco shops were found within 100 meters of 80 per cent of the hospitals. Only six per cent hospitals were fully compliant with the Tobacco Control Act. The latest study undoubtedly has focused on the dark side of our health services.
However, it is true that the city’s hospitals are not up-to-the- mark. The condition of public hospitals is more miserable. From toilets to kitchen and floor to bed are most unhygienic. What the actual situation is, — only the people who went to the hospitals for treatment know very well. We can not but living in such a country where public health sector is itself sick.