It was ten o’clock in the morning when the new Health Minister, Dr Nalinda Jayatissa, visited the Kandy General Hospital. After presenting himself at the Hospital Director’s office and without any fanfare, he expressed his wish to take a tour around the hospital. Along with the director and a few other staff, the minister walked towards a random ward. It was Ward 43, up in the hill; one of the older wards.
The minister, walking between the beds in the dormitory-like ward, makes a bee line to the lavatory. Yes, the lavatory. It was stinking. Previous day’s shit was not only caked on the squatting pan, but the morning shit was, inch by inch, trailing up to the lavatory door.
The minister didn’t say a word. The Director stood embarrassed. The ward doctor in charge said the lavatory cleaner didn’t turn up for duty that day. A nurse rushed to find another lavatory cleaner from the wards below.
The minister looked around and found the broom cupboard. Picking up the toilet brush and a bucket, he set to clean the lavatory. An attendant rushed to take the brush away from the minister. But the minister didn’t give up the brush. He continued to clean. The director, the ward staff, doctors and nurses, watched in horror. It took just fifteen minutes for the minister to clean the toilet, spray disinfectant, wash his hands, and continue on, on his inspection. He didn’t utter a word of complaint about the lavatory…..
The minister, walking between the beds in the dormitory-like ward, makes a bee line to the lavatory. Yes, the lavatory. It was stinking. Previous day’s shit was not only caked on the squatting pan, but the morning shit was, inch by inch, trailing up to the lavatory door.
The minister didn’t say a word. The Director stood embarrassed. The ward doctor in charge said the lavatory cleaner didn’t turn up for duty that day. A nurse rushed to find another lavatory cleaner from the wards below.
The minister looked around and found the broom cupboard. Picking up the toilet brush and a bucket, he set to clean the lavatory. An attendant rushed to take the brush away from the minister. But the minister didn’t give up the brush. He continued to clean. The director, the ward staff, doctors and nurses, watched in horror. It took just fifteen minutes for the minister to clean the toilet, spray disinfectant, wash his hands, and continue on, on his inspection. He didn’t utter a word of complaint about the lavatory…..