Lamjung, December 10

Lamjung District Community Hospital has been hard hit by scarcity of water. As many as 200 to 300 patients visit the hospital on a daily basis and the health facility has been affected badly due to lack of water.

Hospital Administration Chief Hemanta Shrestha said hospital services were adversely affected due to irregular water supply. He added equipment, which required cleaning before reuse, were not cleaned following the same.

Shrestha said it was very difficult to carry out laboratory work, cleaning of surgical equipment and clothes of patients, among other things. Patients have also been facing problems due to scarcity of water. Even toilets in the health facility are without water.

According to hospital in-charge of repairs Man Singh Aryal, the hospital needs more than 15,000 litres water per day. “But drinking water consumer organisations only supplied 5,000 litres on a day-to-day basis.” He informed the hospital had a tank with 30,000 litres capacity.

The hospital with 60 beds offers services like gynaecology, uterus prolapse, piles, hernia, orthopaedic and surgery, among others. The hospital also has bought modern equipment to make service more effective.

Shrestha said initiatives have been taken to address the ongoing water crisis. He informed the drinking water and sanitation consumers’ committee about water woes in the hospital.

Meanwhile, Chairman Krishna Kumar Pradhan of drinking water consumer committee said water was being supplied for two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening after water sources went dry. He added that water could not be supplied in Besisahar Bazaar area as per demand.

He informed they were in the process of bringing water from Bhachowk Khola after which problems would be resolved within two months.