ICU waterlogged at Patna’s Nalanda hospital
PATNA : Heavy showers in Patna for last two days have not only aggravated the woes of residents, especially in low lying areas, but also put the lives of patients at Nalanda Medical College Hospital (NMCH) at risk after rain water gushed into the ICU and general wards of the hospital, Saturday evening.
On Sunday, the ICU was in knee deep water with small fish and insects visible in the rain water creating an unusual sight for the attendants of patients and nurses. The nurses and para medical staff at the hospital had to wade through the water to attend to patients many of whom left the hospital fearing infection due to the unhygienic conditions.
The hospital authorities claimed they were helpless as waterlogging at the hospital was a perennial problem during the rains. Anand Prasad Singh, superintendent of NMCH said, “We are trying to pump out the water. It will take three hours to pump out all the water. Being in a low-lying area we have to suffer every year.”
Singh said the ICU patients were shifted to another surgical ICU unit later in the day after many patients and their attendants complained of foul smell emanating from the rain water in the premises.
“See, how the place has turned into a hell. Fish and insects have found their way into the ICU. There could be snakes here too. Patients can turn more sick in this unhygienic condition,” said, an attendant of a ICU patient.
The superintendent of NMCH maintained that the hospital was taking all efforts to pump out the water but the problem could persist for next few days.“We have given the patients an option to move to Patna Medical College Hospital if they want and we will provide them an ambulance. We have no other options,” he said.
“We have sprinkled bleaching powder in the water... We have also had a talk with the Patna Municipal Corporation,” he added.
The problem of waterlogging in NMCH is very common and it is expected to be solved by next year when the new building, where waterlogging will not be a problem, will become functional, he added.
Large parts of Patna has become waterlogged after heavy showers in the city for last two days exposing the poor drainage system in the city and claims of the Patna Municipal Corporation that cleaning of drains were done before the onset of monsoons. People could not get out of their homes while those who managed to come out were stuck midway as their vehicles broke down in the water.