By Terrence Alur
Operations at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital and Gulu University have been disrupted for the past nearly two weeks since a water crisis hit Gulu.
The crisis is as a result of water levels at Oyitino dam, the primary water reservoir for Gulu, drying up as a result of a prolonged drought.
On Monday, National Water Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) issued a statement confirming the water crisis in Gulu municipality blaming it on a dry spell.
In a telephone interview with Acholi times on Wednesday, Dr Nathan Onyachi, the hospital director said that the crisis poses a potential threat to spreading of disease resulting from poor hygiene in the toilets due to a lack of water.
“We fear that the crisis has can lead to disease resulting from poor sanitation. That is why some toilets [at the hospital] have been closed because there is no water to clean
them,’’ said Dr Onyachi.
Dr Onyachi said Gulu hospital is currently relying on an electric water pump to pump water from a borehole. But this has not been sufficient for hospital, he added, as such he said, the water has to be got from other sources to meet the needs of the hospital.
At Gulu hospital, patients and their caretakers have been the most affected, often having to move a long distance from the hospital to get water.
At Gulu University, Mr James Kakembo, a second year education student says that toilets at the university have run out of water causing a bad stench at the campus.
“Because the sanitation at the toilets is worrying, some of us have resorted to seeking redress from outside the main campus whenever we want to ease ourselves,” said Kakembo.
Gulu University deputy Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mahmud Khalid said the university is buying water from outside the university.
“This problem has hit us hard. Work in the science laboratories has been affected and also toilets.’’
Khalid added that on average the university uses 30,000 liters of water weekly which costing Shs 600,000.
Gulu university guild president, Richard Bongowat, commended the University for the water supply, but added that the supplier is irregular.
On Monday, Mr Paul Rachkara, the National Water and Sewage Corporation Gulu branch manager blamed the water crisis on drought.
According to a weather report released by Uganda National Meteorological Authority early this month, Gulu district recorded the highest temperature in the country in February at 35.8 degrees centigrade. Weather experts, however, had predicted that Gulu district, among other district in the north currently experiencing dry spells, will endure the spell until mid-march this year when the rainy season is expected.