Drinking water turns an issue for Nalgonda government hospital

Neither the Superintendent of the Hospital nor other hospital officials, had an answer to why the hospital did not make the moves to ensure adequate drinking water for patients and their attendants.

Nalgonda: In most hospitals, the queues in front of the outpatient counter are longer than those near the drinking water counter. But not in the Government General Hospital, Nalgonda.

Here, getting a token for OP consultation is easier than getting a bottle of drinking water. The situation is quite strange because all colonies in Nalgonda, including those in areas near the hospital are getting sufficient drinking water supply under Mission Bhagiratha.

Neither the Superintendent of the Hospital, who did not respond to calls from this correspondent, nor other hospital officials, had an answer to why the hospital did not make the moves to ensure adequate drinking water for patients and their attendants.

An overhead tank in the hospital remains unused with creepers all over. Attendants wait in a queue for more than 10 minutes at a drinking water tank beside the Mother and Child Hospital on the same premises. With each person allowed to fill not more than two litres, the queue gets quite long in no time.

According to some staff, the hospital authorities have given the maintenance of the drinking water tank on contract to a private firm, which supplies only 3,000 litres of RO water for patients. There are not enough drinking water fountains set up either.

Jakkalai Suresh, the attendant for a patient from Bangarigadda, said he got a token from OP counter in less than 10 minutes, but was waiting at the water tank for 20 minutes to get a bottle of drinking water.

Edupu Ramulamma from Donipamula said she was going to the water tank thrice a day to ensure enough water for her and her relative undergoing treatment at the hospice.

Sanitation is also an issue on the premises, with lack of a proper drainage system causing stagnation of water, leading to a mosquito problem apart from foul smell.

District Medical and Health Officer Dr Kondal Rao said he would take the initiative and solve the drinking water problem if any in at the GGH. He also said he would talk with municipality officials to ensure the premises were cleaned.