CHENNAI: Patients and attendants in the government hospital of Tiruvallur district have been facing significant difficulties due to water shortages for several months. Patients in the maternity ward alleged that the reverse osmosis (RO) water purifier plant on the ground floor is often at fault.

Water supply to the toilets is also erratic and the problem has been going unchecked for the past two months.

E Gunammal, an attendant, lamented over spending Rs 140 every day to buy drinking water “For the past six days, I’ve been taking care of my daughter. It’s very difficult to pay so much daily but I cannot compromise on water quality,” she rued.

Another attendant in the main block admitted poor sanitation and water shortage problems have been a perennial issue at the hospital. “This needs to be addressed soon. Though officials are taking action, they have gone in vain. The drinking water is not purified, so we buy water from outside,” the attendant added.

To meet the water needs of Tiruvallur GH, the municipality supplies 5 tanker lorries at no cost. “We’re ready to provide up to 15 more to meet the water needs of the GH,” said Tiruvallur municipality commissioner N Dhamodharan. “But charges are applicable for additional lorries.”

However, J Revathy, dean of Tiruvallur GH, dismissed these allegations and told DT Next that there was no water shortage issue in the maternity block. “We’re supplying drinking water through 18 tanker lorries, out of which 8 are deployed from private parties. Nine borewells are operational. Now, we’re planning to install two more to meet the growing water demand,” she added.