Dumped carcasses near Fazilka hospital pose threat to patients

Our Correspondent

Fazilka, August 25

The carcass dumping ground has continuously been posing health hazards for hundreds of patients who visit the district hospital every day.

The dumping yard is situated only about 20 m away on the other side of the boundary of the Civil Hospital and Tertiary Cancer Care Centre (TCCC), which is likely to start functioning soon.

The carcass dumping ground was set up on several acres of Municipal Council land decades ago on Senia Road, and carcasses of dead animals are dumped there.

The 100-bed Civil Hospital was also shifted from the Railway Road building to the new Senia Road building in December 2021. At the time of the hospital’s relocation, it was announced that the dumping yard would be relocated to another site; however, the announcement has not taken practical shape yet.

“Patients and their attendants are being forced to inhale foul stench as the smell continue to enter into their breath and there was permanent threat of attacking new dieses besides the existing one to the patients who are already prone to disease due to low immunity,” said Purshotam Kumar, whose brother has been undergoing treatment at the hospital.

The TCCC incharge, Dr Sumit Kataria said they had submitted a memorandum to the Fazilka Deputy Commissioner and MLA Narinder Pal Singh Sawna about two week ago. Dr Kataria said they assured them that they would do the needful.

A staff member said, “Not only patients but the doctors and staff members have to face harrowing time as the foul smell continue to disturb and distract them round-the-clock.”

A senior medical officer, Dr Rohit Goyal said the matter of shifting of the carcass dump has been brought to the notice of council authorities several times. He added that it seemed as if they would have to file a written complaint for a resolution.

When contacted, Municipal Council President, Surinder Kumar Sachdeva said as such there was no proposal of shifting the yard. He said shifting was a huge project involving land and amount but having consultation with officers concerned, the council would move a resolution in the house in this regards.