By Pius Awunah
A hygienic environment contributes to one’s acquisition of good health and healthy living in general.
A statement of fact is that daily use of public restrooms may spread infectious diseases. People could be affected by the spread of transitional infectious diseases through faeces, urinary tract infection and poor personal hygiene.
According to a World Health Organisation(WHO) report,a significant number of people develop diseases caused by contaminated public restrooms that could result in severe health problems.
Away from the WHO’s report, a hospital should not administer only treatments but also teach patients how to live a healthy life and keep their environment clean, including their toilets.
However,a visit by this writer to the Asokoro District Hospital in Abuja and his desire to use the conveniences there led to a discovery that the hospital’s toilets are not hygienic. From one toilet to the other, they are in a decrepit and dirty condition,oozing unpleasant odour, detrimental to human health.
It is worrisome that a public hospital in the nation’s capital, known to be among the best healthcare centres in the country, would have toilets that are unkept despite the presence of cleaners at the hospital.
It is common knowledge that in Nigeria, public assets are usually handled with less care and with a lackadaisical attitude by those whose responsibility is to manage them but a hospital environment ought to have been an exception,but nay!
Curiosily,the same people manage private assets with utmost care and attention. Does it imply that public assets that are built with taxpayers’ money are meant to be handled with levity when we all sweat to pay taxes?
The mindset should change as these public assets are for the collective good of all Nigerians. It is sheer wickedness to handle our collective assets carelessly but handle privately owned with care and utmost attention.
I appeal to the authorities of the Asokoro District Hospital to wake up to their responsibilities and ensure the general cleanliness of the hospital’s toilets.
▪Awunah writes from Abuja.
