CITY NEWS Water scarcity hits Abaji General Hospital

Patients on admission at the Abaji General Hospital now carry water in jerry cans to the hospital, following acute water scarcity at the hospital.

City News findings revealed that the borehole which serves the water to male and female as well as pediatric wards of the hospital has broken down for over a month.

A source at the hospital, who preferred anonymity, confided in our reporter that the borehole submersible pump got burnt and the management was yet replace it. The situation, he said, has stopped the flow of water across the hospital wards.

“Actually the borehole with overhead tank broke down recently and the hospital has to use one of the vehicles to supply water in jerry cans to all wards of the hospital pending when it will be repaired, “he said.

Our reporter, who went round both the male, female and pediatric wards yesterday morning observed that the toilets and bathrooms were under lock and key due to lack of water.

A patient, simply identified as Mary, who was delivered of a baby said her relatives had to bring water in jerry cans from home when she was about to go into labour room.

“In fact, even the last water they brought for me inside jerry cans was stolen. When my sister wanted to bath the baby, she discovered that the water she had kept for that purpose was missing. She had to send Okada man back home to fetch another water,” she said.

Staff of the hospital, who also craved anonymity, said the water scarcity was as a result of leakage from the plastic tank but said the management was making efforts to repair it.

It was also observed empty water sachets littered the main entrance of the pediatric ward of the hospital when our reporter went round the hospital at about 6:30 am.

The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. I. Kibiya, said the water scarcity was caused by the breakdown of the hospital’s generator.

“But as I am talking to you right now, we have raised money and given it to our engineer to go and buy the big KVA generator which will be fixed tomorrow, while one rubber tank that is leaking will be repaired as I have already spoken with someone from Dei-Dei and he has promised to come tomorrow, “he said.