RO units at hosp unusable, leave hundreds high & dry

Taking advantage, canteen on RGGGH premises and petty shops nearby are selling unpackaged drinking water for ₹3 to ₹5 per litre

- SINDUJA JANE/ NIMISHA PRADEEP @ Chennai

HUNDREDS of patients and their attendants who throng the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital are left with no choice but to buy drinking water from outside as the reverse osmosis (RO) dispenser units installed in the hospital remain unusable.

A visit by TNIE and interactions with multiple patients, attendants and staff showed the dispensers are either dysfunctional, or non-functional for most hours of the day, or the water is not suitable for consumption.

This has led to a thriving business outside the hospitals with petty shops and individuals selling unpackaged water for ₹3 to ₹5 per litre if people bring their own bottles. A canteen located on the hospital premises is also selling such water for ₹5 per litre, TNIE found.