Public Health / Sanitation

GHMC to privatise upkeep of sanitation on select roads

Saturday, 29 April 2017 11:42 administrator

The New Indian Express 29.04.2017

GHMC to privatise upkeep of sanitation on select roads

HYDERABAD: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has decided to engage a private operator to maintain proper sanitation on selected main roads in the city as well as ensure standards of hygiene and environmental management on those roads.

The GHMC has been doing sanitation work on these roads through outsourcing workers but now plans to utilise the commercial and technical expertise of a private agency.

A special user charge of Rs 500 per instance can be collected by the operator from anyone found littering, throwing garbage or debris on the roads. The operator is to check unauthorised pasting of posters or erection of banners, especially during night time, on these roads.

The operator will also be responsible for door-to-door collection of garbage from shops, establishments and residences situated on both sides of the main roads.Cleaning of footpaths and removal of litter, garbage and debris from the roads will also be part of the responsibility. In short, the roads are to be kept neat and litter-free.

According to GHMC officials, the operator is to ensure door-to-door collection from all shops, establishments and residences along the city’s arterial roads except bulk garbage-generating establishments like restaurants and hotels as GHMC is already engaged in collection of bulk garbage.

The collection will be carried out everyday as per the mutual convenience of the owners of the premises and the operator. This operation, the GHMC thinks, will discourage and dissuade these establishments from throwing garbage and litter on the footpaths or roads.

The collected garbage will be deposited at the designated locations of GHMC for each package. User charges will be collected by the operator and deposited into the GHMC’s account. The operator can recycle the waste which can generate revenue for him.

The operator will also be responsible for daily cleaning of sidewalks and footpaths, removal of waste or silt deposited at road junctions and on footpaths.

The civic body will deploy mechanised machines to sweep these roads once everyday but maintenance of cleanliness of these roads throughout the day will be the responsibility of the operator.

The operator has to deploy the required manpower and vehicles or make other arrangements to check littering and dumping of garbage and debris on roads.

It has come to the knowledge of GHMC that commercial establishments dump litter or garbage on roads soon after the sanitary workers sweep those stretches. This litter and garbage get scattered around due to wind, leading to poor sanitary conditions. Further, pedestrians, shoppers, motorists and other commuters throw litter which is not removed by sanitary workers till the next day. Moreover, there is illegal dumping of garbage and debris at night apart from pasting of posters and erection of banners. Hence the decision to rope in a private agency.

Roads selected

Begumpet flyover to Punjagutta junction to Banjara Hills Roads No 2 and 3
Banjara Hills to Road No 36, Jubilee Hills
Masab Tank Jn to Road No.1 Banjara Hills-Nagarjuna Circle
Road No 12, Banjara Hills to Filmnagar Junction to Jubilee Hills Check-post
Raj Bhavan Road
Somajiguda Jn to Khairatabad Jn
Khairtabad Jn-Telugu Talli flyover- Indira Gandhi statue-Ambedkar statue- Assembly Jn.

Civic body creates 816 posts of doctors in peripheral hospitals

Friday, 07 April 2017 09:25 administrator

The Hindu 07.04.2017

Civic body creates 816 posts of doctors in peripheral hospitals

Expected to take patient load from KEM, Sion and Nair

The BMC, in an attempt to boost civic health system, has created 816 posts of doctors at 16 peripheral hospitals in the city. These secondary-level hospitals have large buildings, but lack infrastructure and doctors. They will now be able to take the load of patients from the three main tertiary hospitals — KEM, Sion and Nair.

“All our peripheral hospitals are in prime locations, which are accessible for locals. We are now looking at using them to optimum level by improvising several aspects. To begin with, budgetary allocations have been made for hiring 816 doctors,” said BMC’s additional municipal commissioner Idzes Kundan, adding that the posts include those of postgraduate resident doctors, assistant medical officers, registrars, house officers, and teaching staff. “We are in the process of rolling out diploma courses in the peripheral hospitals. With the courses, we will automatically get resident doctors at work while they are pursuing the course.”

According to Ms. Kundan, several OPDs like ophthalmology, geriatrics and general medicine will be strengthened in the peripheral hospitals so that patients don’t have to come to the tertiary hospitals. “We are also looking at enhancing the infrastructure at the secondary-level hospitals.”

The civic body has a three-tier system to cater to the health needs of citizens. It has over 160 dispensaries at primary level, 16 peripheral hospitals at secondary level, and three main tertiary hospitals.

But lack of facilities in peripheral hospitals like Cooper in Vile Parle, Shatabdi in Kandivali, VN Desai in Santacruz, and Bhagwati in Borivali, which is currently shut for renovation, puts all the load on the three tertiary hospitals.

Activists have reiterated that the secondary level hospitals are a failure and because of this private nursing homes and small hospitals have mushroomed. Also, the decentralisation does not exist due to which patients who can be treated at the primary level land up in tertiary hospitals. The 1,800-bed KEM Hospital admitted 86,290 patients and treated over 19 lakh patients in OPD in 2016. The 1,750-bed Sion Hospital admitted 81,862 patients and treated over 22 lakh people in OPD.

“A large number of these patients come from distant suburbs,” said Dr. Avinash Supe, Dean of KEM Hospital, adding that all specialists in the peripheral hospitals are honorary doctors. “We are planning to set up proper units for various specialities just like the way we have in the tertiary hospitals.”

GHMC continues raids on hotels, checks meat quality

Friday, 07 April 2017 09:20 administrator

The Hindu 07.04.2017

GHMC continues raids on hotels, checks meat quality

Penalties imposed for unhyginic condition of kitchen

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) continued with its raids on hotels and restaurants to check for meat quality and their kitchens. On Thursday, the officials found that some of the managements of eateries were not using stamped meat and keeping their kitchens unhygienic. Fines were slapped against the hotel managements.

It was found that Allapur Saba Restaurant in Moosapet was preserving stale chicken and mutton. New Green Bawarchi in Vanasthalipuram was penalised Rs. 5,000 for unhygienic condition. Green Bawarchi of L.B. Nagar and Lothkunta was asked to pay Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 2000 respectively for using unstamped meat.

A sweet shop, Balaji Mitai Bhandar in Mansoorabad was imposed a fine of Rs. 2,000 for improper maintenance of their outlet.

Pebbals Bar and Restaurant in L.B. Nagar was fined Rs. 2,000 for not producing stamped meat and Pride of Hyderabad in Kukatpally levied Rs. 10,000 fine.

Golden Restaurant and Bar, Swetha Bar and Restaurant, Durga Bar and Restaurant, Grand 360 Hotel, Sydney Restaurant, Ahar Restaurant were imposed a compounding fees of Rs. 50,000 for using unstamped meat, maintaining unhygienic kitchen and using below 50 microns plastic covers.

The raids were carried out by the Deputy Commissioner and health and sanitation officials of the GHMC.

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