rawalpindi - The dilapidated building of nursing hostel of Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) is posing serious threats to its hundreds of female nursing staffers and students while the provincial health department has failed to release funds for construction of new building, according to details.
The building of BBH nursing hostel built years ago and not repaired for several yearsis in a very shabby condition.
The rain water has damaged roof and walls of the building and it may collapse at any time. Any disaster canaffect some 283 staff and student nurses, currently living in the hostel under miserable conditions, according to details. Water startscoming out even from the floor flooding bedrooms of the nurses and students.
Despite several complaints lodged by nurses with the Superintendent, Medical Superintendent and even the Punjab government high ups, no action was taken so far, according to details.
Surprisingly, the management of the hospital and the nursing hostel is shifting responsibility of care of nurses at each other.
Talking to The Nation, a nurse said the hostel building is very poor and highly dangerous as rain water inundates in the rooms, washrooms, kitchen and halls.
She said the bricks have turned into powder weakening the roofs of the building. “It may collapse any time killing many nurses living in the building,” she said.
Another senior nurse was of view that in recent rains, the roof of the hostel started leaking and water filled even in the rooms of nurses.
She further said that the nurses and students could not sleep for the last three days due to fear of collapse of building.
“The doors, windows and all other wood furniture of hostel have been damaged due to rain water entering through roof, walls and even from floors and we are living under a constant threat,” revealed a student nurse on condition of anonymity. She said she along with her colleagues has tendered written applications with Hostel Superintendent and MS of the hospital but all seemed to be in deep slumber.
She said nurses had lodged a complaint even on PM Portal but in vain. Many other nurses were of the view that they are fighting as frontline commandos against Coronavirus by treating the patients in the hospital but the government is not paying heed to their lingering issue that is renovation of dilapidated hostel building.
They requested Chief Minister Punjab SardarUsman Khan Buzdar, Provincial Minister for Health DrYasmin Rashid and Secretary Health to pay a surprise visit to the nursing hostel of BBH to see how the nurses and staff are living under a miserable condition. BBH Nursing Hostel Superintendent MsRizwana, however, when contacted by The Nation for her comments, said, “I am not incharge of the hostel as my only 35 staff nurses are residing in some rooms here while more than 300 nursing students are being accommodated in the building.” She added MsMusaratShaukat is heading the hostel being Principal School of Nursing BBH.
“I am not allowed officially to speak on phone to media or sharing information about the dilapidated condition of hostel,” replied MsMusaratShaukat, the Principal School of Nursing, BBH.
MS BBH Dr Muhammad Raffique, when contacted, said that nursing hostel is not under his control. He said Principal School of Nursing has separate budget for it and she is responsible for its repair and maintenance.