Lepers in Quy Hoa Hospital have been served free purified water for the last 1 year. Their relatives don’t have to worry about making their way over Quy Hoa slope for the purified water purchase anymore. Photo: T.H.

In spite of living near the city downtown, the patients and the residents of Quy Hoa village used to face a lot of difficulties in accessing clean drinking water because of the sinuous pass. Some years ago, the hospital provided the patients with water from pump shafts. However, the water was not clean enough to drink and remained the great challenge to Quy Hoa village. In such situation, the hospital decided to invest about 100 million VND (5,272 USD) for installation of the purified water filter system within its campus.

3 healthcare workers of Infection Control Department have taken charge of producing the purified water. A typical working day of caregiver Mai Thi Thu Ha (Bachelor of Science in Nursing), matron Vo Thi Hue and technician Le Kim Sang starts early in every morning. They are busy in preparing the equipment, facilities, cans and bottles, racing against the clock to finish batches of the purified drinking water for the lepers, the villagers, and the hospital staff.

“3 of us usually work in 2 continuous shifts, producing nearly 1.000 liters of clean drinking water in 2 types of 20-littre and 500-millilitre bottles. In these hot summer days, we have to work in 3 shifts but can’t satisfy the increasing need,” said caregiver Mai Thi Thu Ha.

The department provides about 1 litter of bottled purified water for each of other department every day, more or less depending to their real demand. Besides its free provision of the clean drinking water, the hospital “sells” the water to Quy Hoa villagers and its staffs.

The provision of the purified water is not only a matter of meeting the demand but also a token of human being affection towards the patients and the villagers. “I used to drink boiled water before but now I prefer drinking the bottled water because it’s more convenient for me,” told Mr. Dang Duy Linh, a Hue-born 60-year-old patient who has treated his leprosy at Department of Internal and Care since 1971. Another patient Pham Van Ray, 68, from Genh Rang ward, Quy Nhon city said in happiness: “My hands loose senses as consequences of the disease. Thus, I was likely to get burned myself whenever I drank the boiling water before. Now the drinking is much more convenient. I feel no worry neither for my family because we all access the clean water.”

“To guarantee the purified water quality to meet the reQuyred food and drink safety standards, the hospital asks the Binh Dinh Province Preventive Medical Center to examine parameters of pathogenic microorganism contamination and chemical pollutants in the water. The Infection Control Department staffs also cleanse the multi-storey poles of the filter machine every day and keep samples of the daily batches for the sake of checking in case of unexpected problem. The whole process of making the purified water is closely monitored and checked on daily basis in conformity of standard process by Ministry of Health.” said pharmacist Vo Van Truong, who is mainly responsible for the water production at Quy Hoa National Leprosy Dermatology Hospital.

The hospital is treating for 265 lepers. Quy Hoa village has the population of more than 500. After many years of experiencing the lack of clean drinking water and usage of aluminum contaminated well water, they now benefit the hospital’s investment in the purified water production system. Although the system is just at small size, it in fact relieves their burdens of living.

• Thu Hien