Government Rajaji Hospital, one of the biggest occupants of space on the northern side of the Vaigai, occupying 21 acres, is the biggest consumer of Corporation water.

Madurai Corporation supplies four lakh litres of water directly from its pipelines to the storage facilities available at the GRH. Lorries and tankers bring two lakh litres more, while the hospital has its own borewells through which it pumps 50,000 litres round the clock.

Still, the hospital faces a shortage. “We need close to 11 lakh litres of water daily but we get 6 to 6.5 lakh litres and looking for alternatives to face the summer,” said Dean J. Sangumani.

To save water, a number of measures have been initiated in all the wings, toilets and operation theatres.

The priority areas are cleanliness of toilets, linen washing, besides drinking water.

Only a very few attendants of patients brought their own drinking water, the Dean said.

Recycling

A Corporation official said they have planned to provide two lakh litres more through recycling which may be used for other purposes.

“We are exploring possibilities of digging borewells on the Vaigai bank near Alwarpuram side, so as to meet about 80% of the total demand.

Water experts say the GRH can use recycled water in toilets, which consumed over 40% of the total requirement.

Many corporate houses were ready to construct permanent toilets with RCC, but the problem is the availability of water. Hence, mobile toilets can be installed and run by NGOs.

More outpatients

The hospital receives about 8,000 outpatients daily. The hospital has 3,250 beds, one of the biggest in Tamil Nadu, Dr. Sangumani said.

Patients and their attendants demand better facilities, as many come to the GRH since they cannot afford treatment at private hospitals. Parvathi, accompanying her ailing mother-in-law from Arapalayam, said seating near pharmacy was insufficient. Doors in toilets were not in order.

Attendants have no other option but to use the corridors near wards to take rest. There is a plan to construct rest rooms for attendants, the Dean said.

Parking space

The hospital also lacks parking space. Of the 550 doctors on its rolls, 150 to 200 of them used cars and park them on the campus. It is learnt that 1,000-1,500 two-wheelers are parked on the campus. Haphazard parking hampers movement of ambulances.

The Dean said that they were planning to build a multi-level parking facilities for cars and bikes at two places on the campus.

A special entry for ambulance was being explored, he said.