Patients and workers at Kocholia Subcounty Hospital in Teso North have criticised the Busia government over lack of water at the facility. Some fear the shortage could lead to outbreak and spread of diseases.
Patients and caretakers fetch water from the nearby river Malakisi. They say hygiene at the hospital is poor because of lack of water. Some patients say they hardly take a bath.
MP Oku Kaunya and Angurai South MCA David Kokonya on Saturday said the hospital has been without water for sometime.
The county government delivers water at least once a month.
Patients have expressed disappointment with the current situation, saying Water executive Isaac Alukwe has remained silent as they suffer.
A check by the Star on Saturday revealed the hospital hygiene is poor because the facility has not been cleaned for a while.
“I have been here for about a week, yet I have not taken a bath. I'm weak and have no one to help me. When we ask the nurses, they say the hospital has no water," a patient, who sought anonymity, said.
Caretaker Mary Amojong said, "We have to fetch water from the river to clean our relatives and for drinking. It's tiresome."
Hospital officials, who did not want to be named, said the facility has had no flowing water since December last year.
An official said the county government has been sending in water bowsers once a month. The water cannot sustain the hospital and patients needs, the official said.
“Look at the hospital, it’s becoming unhygienic because we have no access to reliable water supply for consumption and cleaning. This is likely to lead to spread and outbreak of diseases cholera. We have raised the matter with the county government and no permanent solution is being offered," she said.
But Busia county communications' director Winston Wafula dismissed claims that the hospital has water problems. He said the county government supplies water to the facility through bowsers.
"Some 18,000 litres of water were delivered to the hospital by a county bowser on Thursday evening. This water will serve the hospital for the next seven days," Wafula said.
He said patients are fetching water from taps.
