Punakha hospital hit by no water
3 August, 2009- An acute water shortage problem in the last three days has crippled medical services at the 40-bed Punakha hospital. The problem started on Friday.
Health officials say that the shortage has interrupted laboratory tests, with the labour room worst hit.
“Toilets in the wards are stinking and we can’t do any urine tests too,” said the hospital’s medical officer Dr N B Rai. “We’ve about 30 in-patients and, with no water, it’s difficult to provide them the services they require.”
Along with the hospital, the hospital’s staff quarters, which houses about 30 staff, have also been hit by the water problem.
Dr N B Rai said that the hospital administration has not done anything to solve the water problem. “They’ve not even come to the wards,” said the medical officer.
This is the third time in two months that the water supply has been interrupted, said health officials. “We don’t even have a plumber. So far, it’s been our electrician and the laundry boy, who tended to such problems,” said Dr N B Rai.
The hospital’s administrative officer, Dorji Wangchuk, however, said that the problem has been discussed with dzongkhag authorities and that work is underway. “The problem isn’t at the source. There was some technical problem which the engineer is looking at,” said Dorji Wangchuk.
He said that water pipes to the hospital sometimes got blocked and, at times, the caretaker used to reduce the water flow before the reservoir tanks filled up. “By tomorrow, the problem should be solved,” assured Dorji Wangchuk.
