Nursing staff locks orthopaedic ward lavatory of Tripura’s main hospital citing cleaning issue, patients protest

Patients and relatives staged a protest at the GBP Hospital in Agartala on Saturday (June 21, 2025) after they found a lavatory attached to the orthopaedic ward locked. A nursing staff member allegedly put the lavatory under lock and key in a plea to stop it getting nasty from frequent goers.

The GBP Hospital is the main referral hospital and is attached to the Agartala Government Medical College. Allegations of negligence and misbehaviour towards patients and accompanying parties are often registered with the hospital authorities.

Cleaning services in government hospitals in Tripura are contracted out to private agencies through tender protocol. But these agencies are blamed for not cleaning facilities as per standard.

A nursing staff member was identified for putting a lock on the attached lavatory of the orthopaedic ward in the GBP Hospital, causing problems for the patients. She reportedly argued that frequent use of the facility made it dirty though a cleaning staff member was supposed to be present round the clock.

The matter was later resolved with the intervention of senior physicians.