Patients suffer as water coolers remain defunct

Secunderabad: Thousands of poor people of the state throng Gandhi Hospital every day as it provides free medical services. With the noble objective of providing cold water to them, Das Seva Samithihas donated eight water coolers, one for each floor of the hospital. However, none of the coolers are in a working condition due to the negligence of the hospital officials.

The coolers could have been in the working condition this summer if the officials took steps coolers repaired. As a result, the poor patients coming to the hospital in the scorching heat are finding it difficult to get cool water for drinking purposes.

Several voluntary organizations have been spending a lot money to provide cool water and buttermilk to people this summer. Had the officials of the hospital thought of repairing the donated coolers, people would not have been deprived of cool water this summer.

Medical shop owners located in the premises of the hospital have cashed in on the negligence of the officials as the patients and their relatives buy water bottles from them. The medical shop owners are reportedly earning lakhs of rupees by selling water bottles.

A Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant has also been installed in the hospital premises but that too is not in a working condition. Several patients complained that the overhead tank which stores water is not properly maintained. While doctors say that 70 per cent of diseases are caused by water pollution, the apathy of the officials in this regard has worsened the situation.

On Thursday, representatives of a city forum 'Hyderabad Zindabad' which fights for citizen issues, met the hospital Resident Medical Officer (RMO) M Jayakrishna and submitted a memorandum in this regard.

They condemned the official apathy due to which patients were being exploited by the medical shop owners. They urged the RMO to repair the coolers donated by Das Seva Samithi and the RO plant and provide clean water to people coming to hospital. The representatives also demanded action against the responsible officials.

Among those who met RMO include the forum general secretary M Srinivas Rao, vice-president TSV Ramana, V Vijay Kumar and others.