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Nebbi hospital water cut off
A worker in Nebbi Hospital checks in a reserve tank after water supply was cut. PHOTO BY FELIX WAROM OKELLO.
What you need to know:
Huge bill. Water bosses demand payment of half of the bill before reconnection.
Nebbi
Nebbi hospital has been disconnected after failing to pay water bills amounting to more than Shs21 million. This, has left patients and staff in an acute shortage of water, thus constraining the facility’s operations.
Currently patients together with health workers are paying Shs500 to buy a a 20 litre jerrycan of water with other fetching from River Nyacara. Health workers, according to information, are finding it hard to sterilise equipment.
The most affected facilities are the theatre room, laboratory and toilets. The water was disconnected after the hospital failed to respond to several demand notices issued by the National Water and Sewerage Corporation.
Ms Colothine Athuwaneth, a patient at the hospital told the Daily Monitor that she had been told to buy a jerrycan of water that she could use to drain the toilet after using it.
“Before you use the toilet you have to buy a jerrycan of water, however, some people use it without water and the stench inside some wards is unbearable,” she said.
Cheaper alternative
The hospital administrator, Mr Gilbert Onencan, said it was cheaper for the hospital to pump its own water rather than pay expensive water bills to NWSC.
He said the hospital pays more than Shs31m every quarter on administrative cost for electricity, cleaning and vehicle maintenance.
Ms Hajira Namagogwe, the district deputy RDC, said she was in contact with NWSC to remedy the situation, saying disconnecting the hospital was inappropriate.
Ms Florence Nyamotoru, the district NWSC commercial officer, said unless the hospital pays a part payment of Shs7 million, with a properly worked out plan for payment of the balance, the agency would not resume water supply.
