The Ministry of Health is reporting that water supply has been restored to the Victoria Jubilee Hospital in downtown Kingston.
The South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) in a media release on Thuresday said the shortage is due to the prolonged dry spell affecting the island.
According to SERHA, it will continue to collaborate with the National Water Commission (NWC) to ensure a steady supply of the commodity to the hospital.
Contingency measures will also be put in place, to expand the water storage capacity at Victoria Jubilee, to reduce further interruptions.
However, SERHA is advising patients and their relatives to bring their own drinking water where possible, to alleviate the demand on supplies at the hospital.
On Thursday morning, the hospital was the scene of a protest as nurses and other health care workers walked off the job to protest against what they said were unhygienic conditions due to the lack of water.
The nurses who said they have been working with limited water for some time, said problem worsened on Wednesday as the hospital was also without water resulting in surgeries being cancelled.
Meanwhile, the National Water Commission (NWC), it should not be blamed for the lack of water at the hospital.
Corporate Public Relations Manager, Charles Buchanan, says a long standing fault with the distribution line on the hospital's compound is at the centre of the water woes.
“There is a need for major work on their correcting several identified problems with the distribution of water on the complex. These problems are usually exaserbated during times of limitation in the supply like we now have during the severe shortage,” he said .
And the Member of Parliament for West Kingston, Desmond McKenzie, wants special arrangements for the supply of water to the Victoria Jubilee and Kingston Public Hospitals.
He expressed concern about the situation at Victoria Jubilee, stating that if the problem is not addressed, a bigger issue may arise.
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