Water: what the doctor ordered but none to be had

40 surgeries put off due to water shortage in Delhi - The Times of India: "NEW DELHI: The severe water shortage in the city has begun to take a toll on urgent health services. At Bara Hindu Rao, the largest municipal hospital in the city, more than 40 surgeries were cancelled over the past week because water could not be arranged for the procedures.

Doctors at the hospital said there was no water to sterilize instruments, wash the operation theatre, clean the linen and wash hands - without which surgeries could not be conducted.

At other hospitals such as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Ambedkar and Safdarjung, patients said they were having to buy water from outside for most of their needs as hospital taps ran dry. Washing and cleaning, a vital function in hospitals to prevent infections, has mostly been abandoned at many institutions."

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