Having come for a regular pregnancy checkup at the Sector-38 civil dispensary, Aarti, a resident of Sector 38 West, expressed distress and uneasiness about using the men’s toilet.
Her discomfort is shared by her husband, Rishi, as well, who has been wanting to complain about the matter but couldn’t find any designated desk, number, or complaint box for the same.
Like Aarti, all female patients visiting the dispensary share the same discomfort regarding the lack of a separate women’s washroom. Unlike other facilities, the Sector-38 civil dispensary treats over 200 patients daily because it also serves as an anti-rabies clinic.
The dispensary operates medicine, eye, and dental OPDs alongside its anti-rabies services. In fact, this facility and the one in Sector-19 are the only two dispensaries in the city that provide anti-rabies vaccinations.
The Sector-38 dispensary has two washrooms; one reads “male toilet” and the another is a “staff toilet”, which is locked. There is no signboard showing directions for a female washroom. Apparently, women are supposed to use the men’s toilet only. On opening the men’s toilet, the first thing one sees is three urinals, and on the left, there are two washrooms. Even on those two washroom doors inside the men’s toilet, there is no display board mentioning that they are for women, making it doubtful for the one using them.
Lalita, a Sector-40 resident visiting the dispensary, said, “I rarely use the washroom as I am concerned about its hygiene. With no separate washroom for women, I would hardly feel safe using it, even in an emergency. How can I use the washroom if a male is in there, and who is going to ensure my privacy and security? Women need privacy. There should be a separate washroom for women.”
Although the men’s toilet also has a display board mentioning “toilet for the differently abled,” no assistance for the same could be seen in the washroom.
The dispensary in-charge, wishing not to be named, said, “Earlier, we had three washrooms, but a few months back we had to close one due to repair work requirements. The dispensary’s infrastructure is old, and with no separate washroom for staff inside the building, the two washrooms outside have been divided—one for public use and the other for staff. The file to repair the closed washroom has been under consideration, and the matter has been brought to the attention of the health department during audit checks as well.”
Director of health services, Dr Suman Singh, said, “The matter is under our notice; recommendations to repair the washroom have been sent to the engineering department.”
