The 40-bedded Tsirang Hospital is struggling with an acute water shortage. Patients and attendants are the worst affected. It has been almost ten days now without water in the hospital.
Most of the toilets are locked with no running water. Attendants fetching water in jerry cans and buckets has become a common sight. Some are using mineral water. An overpowering stench fills the entire area. Some patients who have relatives and homes nearby take leave from the hospital to visit toilets. According to the staff, some patients are caught using open areas in the hospital campus which might spread diseases. The public are also said to be harassing the hospital staff due to water shortage.
“There is no water at all in the toilets. The odour from the toilet is very pungent. Elderly and serious patients are the worst affected, they cannot go outside and there is no water inside,” complains Dilip Bhandari, a patient.
“Two wards are sharing one toilet because of water shortages. The day before yesterday we the patients had to fetch from a nearby place even at 11 pm. We are sceptical to eat our meals properly fearing that we may have to attend the toilet. I cannot go far for I have injured my leg,” added Jantu, another patient.
“I am fortunate that I have my home just nearby. I called my daughter and went home to visit the toilet and brought some water along. I went home three times yesterday alone. The irony is there is water there and no water here. It is very inconvenient,” said Dhal Singh Tamang, also a patient.
“I fetched water from a nearby source to use in the toilet. I do it continuously. There is a chance that attendants might also fall sick in such a situation,” said Vasudev Rhizel, an attendant.
“There is no water at all we cannot do any cleaning. Normally we clean once in the morning and evening but these days we couldn’t do any. Patients complain to us about keeping the toilets dirty and sometimes they ask us to fetch water for them,” said Sari Maya Darje, a Ward Girl in the hospital
The hospital is not yet connected to the main water supply line as water metre was not installed. The temporary line supplying water is not enough due to increasing number of patients. The hospital management is aware of the problem and informed relevant offices. But Damphu municipal said they have not received any complaints so far.
Namgay Wangchuk
