Betel-leaf stains tarnish Habiganj hospital; unusual drive launched to restore cleanliness

A hospital means the expectation of recovery. People come here with ailing bodies to receive treatment and find some relief. But when the floors, walls, stairs and verandas of that hospital are covered with the reddish stains of betel-leaf spit, the treatment environment itself becomes unhygienic. That was the long-standing reality at Habiganj District Modern Sadar Hospital. Now the hospital authorities have taken an unusual initiative to change that picture.

A special drive has begun to restore cleanliness at the hospital. The authorities are not ending their responsibility by merely cleaning the floors and walls; they have taken direct steps to stop the habit of chewing betel leaf inside the hospital and spitting it anywhere.

During the drive, betel leaf, jorda, lime containers and betel-leaf bags were collected from patients and their relatives. They were later destroyed at a designated place outside the hospital.

Hundreds of people come every day to the eight-storey hospital from the nine upazilas of Habiganj as well as surrounding areas to receive treatment. Relatives stay with admitted patients. With so many people coming and going regularly, keeping the hospital clean is itself a major challenge.

On top of that, betel-leaf spit in different wards, stairs and verandas had made the environment even more discoloured. Almost every ward and staircase bore betel-leaf stains. Besides spoiling the beauty of the hospital, this was disrupting a hygienic treatment environment.

The need for change came to the fore after a surprise visit to the hospital by Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhaawat Hossain Bokul. During the recent visit, he expressed dissatisfaction after seeing the unclean environment of the hospital.

After that, the hospital authorities sprang into action to ensure cleanliness. Along with regular cleaning, a special initiative was taken to stop the menace of betel-leaf spit.

As part of it, a drive was conducted in every ward of the hospital on the morning of November 3. Led by residential medical officer Dr Momin Uddin Chowdhury, the drive collected betel leaf, betel-leaf bags, jorda and lime containers from patients and their relatives. They were later destroyed.

The purpose of this initiative is not to punish anyone, but to create awareness about keeping the hospital environment clean. During the drive, patients and their relatives were told that chewing betel leaf in an important place like a hospital and spitting it anywhere not only dirties the environment but also creates an unhygienic situation for other patients.

News of the hospital's unusual initiative also spread on social media. On Saturday, the hospital authorities published a video about the drive on their Facebook page. The video drew a wide response.

Many welcomed such an initiative. They also urged that such activities be continued regularly to maintain the cleanliness of the hospital.

Dr Momin Uddin Chowdhury said a section of patients and their relatives who come to the hospital chew betel leaf and spit it anywhere, leaving almost every ward and staircase of the eight-storey building dirty. Even after repeated cleaning, the same thing kept happening, making it difficult to maintain normal cleanliness.