Despite Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s relentless push for cleanliness across Uttar Pradesh, the state’s promise of hygiene and sanitation seems to be crumbling — quite literally — inside Gautam Buddh Nagar District Hospital. Once you step beyond its gleaming exterior, the reality hits hard: filth, foul smells, and sheer neglect.

The hospital, which serves thousands of patients daily through its OPD and emergency departments, should ideally be one of the cleanest public spaces in the district. Instead, it stands as an example of how official apathy can turn a place meant for healing into a breeding ground for disease.

Walking up the stairs from the first to the eighth floor is nothing short of a nightmare. The air reeks of urine, the steps are splattered with red stains from tobacco spit, and the walls bear marks of years of indifference. The stench is so overpowering that patients and attendants often cover their faces while passing through.

And if that’s not shocking enough — feces were spotted on the staircases of the seventh and eighth floors. Ironically, this is the same floor where the Chief Medical Officer’s (CMO) office is located. It’s hard to imagine that officials climb these very stairs daily without noticing the unbearable condition.

This isn’t a one-time lapse. When this correspondent visited the hospital in August 2025, the situation was the same — dirt-filled corners, unclean floors, and lifts that smelled of garbage and decay. Months later, nothing has changed.

Outside, the building looks polished and well-maintained — almost luxurious at first glance. But inside, the picture is grim. Even the lifts, which hundreds of patients, doctors, and attendants use every day, are filthy, with garbage strewn in corners and walls that haven’t seen a proper cleaning in ages.

For a government hospital, such conditions are not just an embarrassment — they are a serious public health concern. Patients come here seeking care, not to be exposed to infections and filth. Cleanliness in hospitals isn’t just about appearances; it’s about dignity, safety, and trust.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has often emphasized that cleanliness is next to godliness — a value deeply rooted in public service and health care. But at Gautam Buddh Nagar District Hospital, this message appears to have fallen on deaf ears.

If this hospital — located in one of the state’s most developed districts — is in such a miserable state, one can only imagine what smaller facilities across rural areas might look like.

For a government hospital, such conditions are not just an embarrassment — they are a serious public health hazard. The filth inside the hospital poses a grave risk of infection, particularly to patients already suffering from comorbid conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or respiratory problems. For these vulnerable individuals, exposure to unhygienic surroundings can trigger severe complications or even life-threatening infections.

The situation calls for urgent action and accountability. Hospitals are meant to heal, not horrify. The people of Uttar Pradesh deserve better — cleaner hospitals, responsible authorities, and a system that practices what it preaches.