Palakkad: Patients seeking treatment at the district hospital are facing an additional challenge as a muddy stretch near key facilities has become a difficult passage, especially for those in wheelchairs and stretchers.

The slush accumulated behind an under-construction building on the hospital premises is causing considerable inconvenience to patients and their attendants. Located close to the dialysis unit, super speciality block and pay ward, the stretch has made access to these facilities difficult.

The situation worsens during the rains, when the area turns into a muddy track. Vehicles passing through the stretch carry mud towards the entrance of the A.R. Menon Block, where patients are admitted.

Patients being shifted to the pay ward have to be taken through the slush, leaving hospital staff and relatives struggling to move those in wheelchairs and stretchers.

With the construction of the new hospital building nearing completion, patients and visitors have urged authorities to clear the accumulated mud and debris before the rains intensify.