15 families inhabit ‘unsafe’ quarters

Kathmandu, June 21

Fifteen families are living in staff quarters of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital in Teku even though the building was badly damaged in the 2015 earthquakes and was issued a red sticker by the Ministry of Urban Development, Department of Urban Development and Building Construction.

The red sticker pasted on one of its walls clearly mentions that it is unsafe to enter or occupy the four-storey building. It warns that the structure has been seriously damaged and entry into the building may result in death or injuries.

The building has neither been retrofitted nor demolished even after more than four years of the earthquakes.

Deep cracks are visible on the building and its walls look like they will collapse any time, yet the building houses 60-odd people.

The building has 20 rooms, of which five are used by the hospital and the rest are occupied by families of doctors, paramedics and staff nurses working in STIDH. The hospital uses its ground floor as store room.

Some families even have newborns and infants. Children play and cycle in the vicinity of the building. During the day hundreds of patients pass by the building. It also has parking spaces for visitors.

“Whenever there is an aftershock it feels like the building will collapse,” Nabin Jaiswal, a physiotherapist assistant who is living in the staff quarters, told THT.

“Even when there is a mild aftershock the whole building shakes. I can’t even come down as I have a three-month-old baby,” said Babita Sharma, a staff nurse residing in the building.

“The hospital administration should at least get it retrofitted. We have been living here free of cost. It is expensive to live outside,” said Januka Pangeni, a staff nurse who has been living in the building for the past five years.

At a time when all other hospitals are reconstructing earthquake-damaged buildings, no initiative has been taken to reconstruct or retrofit the building.

A senior expert at National Reconstruction Authority told this daily that the hospital administration had not got the building listed with NRA for retrofitting or reconstruction.

“I am new here. Files have been sent to the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction,” Basudev Pandey, hospital director, told THT.

“There is no way to find out how old the building is. We have not estimated how much it will cost if we have to demolish it,” said Rup Narayan Khatiwada, administration chief at STIDH.

“It is utter negligence on part of the hospital administration. We have a separate department that looks into hospital buildings. We have a list of hospitals that need to be retrofitted or reconstructed. But that doesn’t include STIDH. The hospital administration should have informed us,” said Rajuman Manandhar, senior expert at National Reconstruction Authority.

“If a building receives a red sticker then it is unsafe to enter. After that, it should either be demolished or retrofitted. No one should be allowed to enter inside it,” added Manandhar.

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