PETALING JAYA: A water crisis at the 400-bed Duchess of Kent Hospital in Sandakan is forcing its patients to wait for their surgeries.
The water crisis was due to the supply from the Segaliud Treatment Plant being cut off on Sunday (Sept 14).
“Biochemical testing has stopped since 5pm today and might resume tomorrow,” a staff of the hospital said on Monday (Sept 15).
“The operating theater is only for dire emergency. Rest will have to wait,” added the source.
However, the source said water supply was “slowly” resuming.
The outage, caused by a power disruption at the Segaliud plant has left families and businesses dry since late last week.
Many queued for bottled water, with some resorting to using mineral water to bathe.
The crisis has also crippled the Duchess of Kent Hospital, Sandakan’s only hospital.
This forced the hospital to shutdown operating theatres, the haemodialysis unit and support services.
Earlier, a memo from hospital director Dr Fahmie Othman stated that the water pressure remained at 0.0 bar, with no inflow despite tanker trips by the state Water Department, third-party contractors and the Sandakan Municipal Council.
“Despite maximising tanker deliveries, the supply is still unable to meet the hospital’s daily needs,” the memo read.
With building chillers switched off, only one emergency theatre remains open.
The haemodialysis unit is running at half capacity, unable to take in extra patients, while the laundry has shut completely, leaving wards short of clean linens.
The canteen has also suspended services.
Emergency measures include postponing elective surgeries, rationing linens, maximising alcohol-based hand rubs and shutting non-clinical facilities to conserve water.
If the situation persists, the hospital warned it would face further severe restrictions on surgery, dialysis and sanitation.
