the goan I network
PANAJI
Even though the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC) was struggling with the water crisis from the day the pipelines gave way last week, the crisis peaked only on Monday with supply to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) being cut off in the morning.
The ICU unit, along with several other units of the premier health institution had no water supply the whole of Monday, until five water tankers arrived in the evening and the PWD division there began operating the pumps.
Medical Superintendent Dr Shivanand Bandekar told “The Goan” late on Monday night that water was being pumped to the Intensive Care Unit, cardiac, casualty and other units of the Hospital which were without water supply the entire day on Monday.
“Those wards which were dependent on sump number 9 are being serviced now. The sump got empty this morning. Other units were already being supplied earlier,” Dr Bandekar said.
He went on to add that sump 9 was on higher ground and although the hospital authorities were trying to pump water into it since morning, it was a difficult task.
“It’s got a direct PWD connection, so unless the PWD releases water, it becomes difficult to pump water in,” he said.
“However, we have not allowed any operation to be re-scheduled or postponed on account of the water crisis,” Dr Bandekar added.
Meanwhile, MBBS students, students living in the hostels, as well as doctors of the Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) were affected badly.
One of the students told “The Goan” on condition of anonymity, “There wasn’t any water in the washrooms in college for the past two days. There was no stored water either.”
About the boys hostel, he added, “The boys hostel didn’t have water for the past five days. We had to make do with whatever water was stored. Today finally, we got tap water again.”
When asked how the students managed, he said, “We made do with tissues and sanitiser.”
One of the resident doctors who was exhausted by Monday, lamented, “There is no water, no tanker, nothing. The people in GARD are having a tough time. I haven’t been able to brush my teeth or take a shower, so I can’t sleep properly. I am tired, and I am stinking.”
Meanwhile, the nurses are being sandwiched in the middle.
“If a patient has to be given an anaema, the nurse is called. But then there’s no water in the toilet, so we are called and questioned as to why we gave the patient an anaema when there is no water,” the nurse said.
The nurse added that at least four floors of the hospital were suffering from water shortage as another student added that “Most of the hospital has no water.”
