Sewage leak floods Koti ENT Hospital; poses health risks to patients, staff

A broken sewer pipeline has left Hyderabad’s Government ENT Hospital in Koti flooded with drainage water, posing health risks to hundreds of patients and staff. Despite repeated complaints, civic bodies continue to shift blame without fixing the problem

Hyderabad: A public health crisis is unfolding at the renowned Government ENT Hospital in Koti, where a sewage leak has left the campus inundated with foul-smelling drainage water. The leak is now posing a serious threat to hundreds of patients who visit the hospital from across the State, and caregivers.

Nearly a foot of drainage water has flooded the campus, making it difficult for patients and doctors to enter and exit the outpatient and inpatient blocks of the tertiary ENT hospital. A major sewerage pipeline connecting Bogulakunta-Koti area is suspected to have broken, causing the entire hospital vicinity to reek of sewage.

Ironically, none of the municipal departments including GHMC, HYDRAA and Water Board have acted quickly on this issue, even though the hospital authorities have sent letters to them on numerous occasions.

According to the hospital authorities, teams from multiple municipal wings who had visited the hospital to study the situation were blaming the other departments for problem at the ENT hospital and were yet to address the issue.

“We have written letters highlighting the urgency of the present situation to GHMC, HYDRAA, Water Board and even TGMSIDC. While officials from multiple municipal agencies have visited our hospital, nobody has so far come forward to undertake repairs. The hospital building itself is quite old and there are a number of water and sewerage pipelines that are passing through its vicinity. There is a leakage in a sewage pipeline outside this hospital and municipal officials have to identify and carry out repairs,” Government ENT Hospital-Koti Superintendent Dr Anand Acharya said.

Meanwhile, the standing drainage water and its stench have made life difficult for the patients and their relatives. “It has become very difficult for us to enter and exit the hospital because of the smell and standing water. The municipal authorities must address this issue at the earliest,” patients demanded.

Historically, the Government ENT Hospital, which extends critical tertiary care facilities for patients from across Telangana, is a major landmark in Hyderabad. Built in 19th Century, the building was originally a residential palace of wealthy businessmen and later was converted into a hospital. The Government ENT Hospital was formally opened for public in 1962, persons familiar with the hospital’s past said.