Patients at Torit’s main hospital have one thing less to worry about, thanks to the timely intervention of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), which has got water flowing again at the health facility.
Since its water pump broke down two months ago, the hospital has been hit by a water shortage, leaving patients who do not have the means to buy water with no choice but to fetch it from sources outside the hospital.
“I leave my child in the hospital ward to go and fetch water outside the hospital at the borehole. What if the child is strangled to death in bed?” asked Joska Aleng, a single mother in a maternity ward.
“Water is very important. A hospital is a facility that uses more water than any other place. We hope that UNMISS will supply us with water until our water issue is resolved,” said Francis Iwa Andruga, the administrator of Torit State Hospital.
“The water they deliver here helps a lot, but it’s not enough,” lamented Iwa, who had initially requested a one-time support for water.
But the continued water scarcity has meant that UNMISS has gone beyond the one-time support and supplied the hospital with 30,000 litres of water within two weeks.
The hospital’s units with the most urgent needs are the maternity and surgical wards, where water is needed to maintain the hygiene of both the patients and the facilities.
“We will request humanitarian partners to take it up with the help of the government, as we continue to monitor the situation,” said Tito Awando, the team leader of the UNMISS Relief Reintegration and Protection (RRP) Section, which supports returns of displaced communities by creating a conducive environment, with quick impact projects that ensure essential facilities are in place.
Run by the area ministry of physical infrastructure, Torit town has an established urban water supply system which uses a generator. However, the ministry has limited water supply services to the areas within the town where it can generate income to sustain the provision of fuel.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Source: Apo-Opa
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