As temperatures continue to soar, patients and attendants at the district Civil Hospital in Sector 10 are struggling with intense discomfort due to a lack of basic summer amenities, including non-functional fans, poor ventilation, insufficient coolers, and unhygienic water supplies.
A spot check by HT on Monday revealed widespread issues across the facility, with critical cooling infrastructure missing or malfunctioning. Patients in surgical and TB wards, attendants in waiting areas, and even staff members expressed deep concern over the hospital’s inadequate preparedness for the ongoing heatwave.
In the dengue ward alone, 10 out of 21 fans installed across the hospital were found to be non-functional. Across other parts of the hospital — especially the basement, second floor, and dispensary — ceiling fans were either broken or rotating so slowly that they offered no respite. Patients and their families were seen using newspapers, files, and cloths to fan themselves.
In the surgery ward, where 15 out of 16 beds were occupied, the conditions were especially dire with no air conditioning and poor ventilation. Yash Pal, a 40-year-old patient from Sector 48 and originally from Itawa, Uttar Pradesh, who recently underwent surgery on his right leg after a road accident, said, “Though mornings and nights are fine, during peak noon my right leg feels itchy because of sweating as the room gets too heated up.”
Rashi (who goes by a single name), a nursing officer in the surgery ward, added, “There is absolutely no ventilation and no AC here. Patients with stitches and open wounds are sweating all day. It is not just uncomfortable — it is unsafe for healing too. We are trying our best, but how much can we do without basic infrastructure?”
In response to the conditions, Gurugram’s chief medical officer, Dr Alka Singh, acknowledged the issue. “There has been a sudden rise in temperature, due to which some patients are facing difficulties. We are fully aware of the challenges and have instructed the maintenance teams to immediately address the issues. Necessary steps are being taken to ensure the comfort and well-being of all patients and their attendants,” she said.
The waiting areas were similarly ill-equipped. Only three working fans were found on the first floor, where dozens of attendants sat in oppressive heat. Many said they were forced to wait outside in direct sunlight due to a lack of indoor space. “Last year, they had put up green plastic sheets to block the sunlight, but even that has not been done this year,” said Vishnu Dutt, 40, from Rai Chowk, Hans Colony, whose wife is undergoing tumour treatment. “We need real solutions like more fans, air coolers, indoor waiting rooms, and clean water — not just plastic sheets that trap the heat inside,” he said.
The water supply situation added to the distress. Several overhead tanks were found either empty or filled with greenish, visibly dirty water. On the second floor, patients said there was no drinking water available, forcing them to buy bottled water from outside vendors. “The heat is one thing, but when patients don’t even have clean water to drink, the situation becomes truly dangerous,” said Geeta Mugdal, a security guard on duty at the first-floor waiting area. “We see patients fainting, getting dizzy, and constantly complaining. The situation will only get worse in May and June when summer peaks. We complain about it, but little action is taken,” she said.
Conditions in the TB ward — home to some of the most vulnerable patients — were worse. Patients were being treated under a tin shed with no fans installed. The metal roofing caused the area to become unbearably hot by afternoon, leading to symptoms of dizziness and dehydration among patients, they claim.
“We will soon appoint a team that will manually check the wards that have non functional fans , Air conditioners and coolers at the district hospital in sector 10. Incase, there is ward that overloaded with pateints, we will also try to create some ventialltion space,” said Dr Manish Rathee , Supritendant, at District Hospital in sector 10, Gurugram.
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