Surgeries postponed after water supply to OTs got contaminated

'Swachta' not 'Sewa' at govt hospital Sarwal

SUMIT SHARMA

JAMMU: Hard it may be to believe but one has to deem the fact that a Government Hospital postpones surgeries after the water supply to surgery unit got contaminated, a real incident that happened Thursday at Government Hospital, Sarwal, when the entire nation is observing nationwide 'Swachta Hi Sewa 'campaign.
"Scores of surgeries in Government hospital, Sarwal were postponed and patients those needing surgeries urgently were referred to other government hospitals after the water supply of the hospital got contaminated due to the leakage of sewerage to the main water supply pipe leading to surgery theatre," sources within Government Hospital Sarwal said.
Hospital sources said that the hospital turned into utter mess after water supply to hospital got contaminated due to some internal leakage of sewerage pipe.
"What to talk of patients, the doctors and paramedical staff on duty too were seen walking with their nose covered, the foul smell emanating all over wherever the water was used for cleaning," a hospital staffer told The News Now on the condition of anonymity.
He also said that the unsolicited incident even has put the life of the many patients at risk.
"The incident also raised question mark on the hospital administration as entire hospital turned into a stinking place," hospital sources said.
Sources said that the hospital administration only came to know of the incident after contaminated water emanating foul smell poured every time whenever the tap in the hospital was put in use.
"While the hospital administration was trying to manage crisis in hush-hush manner, the patients and their attendants started raising hue and cry over the issue when one of them accidently opened one of tap in a washroom in hospital", said one of the attendants in hospital.
Following massive hue and cry from public, the hospital administration swung into action and found that the water in hospital water tanks got contaminated with the intermixing of sewage water.
"It is the fault of the PHE department and not ours as their engineers got the sewerage pipes connected with the water pipes, though unintentionally, but 'feces' and other waste got mixed with water supplied to hospital," said a doctor posted at this hospital without disclosing his name, adding, "the corrective measures were taken immediately and the entire water supply system was put on right track.
When contacted Director Health Gurjit Singh, while admitting the issue, said that the issue was settled after hospital administration lodged a complaint with the Chief Engineer, PHE.