Sanathnagar ESIC Hospital Faces Water, AC Crisis
The seven borewells that supplied water have gone dry this summer.
Hyderabad: The reality of the “world-class” medical infrastructure at the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Medical College and Hospital, and Super Specialty Hospital at Sanathnagar, is in pathetic condition, patients and medicos rue. The hospital lacks medicines, washrooms are shabby, centralised air-conditioning is not working, and patients are forced to bring their own fans. Taps in the washrooms run dry due to a water crisis.
The medical college issued a circular stating: “Due to scarcity of water at ESIC Medical College & Hospital, Sanathnagar, Hyderabad, the competent authority has directed residents of the Residential Staff Quarters and Student Hostel to monitor, regulate and utilise the available water efficiently. Water supply shall be made available only during the following timings: Morning 6 am to 9 am; Evening 6 pm to 9 pm.”
M. Davender, a patient admitted on May 27 after a road accident, said: “There is no AC working, patients have to get their own fans. There is no water available.”
Another attendant, Lakshmi, whose husband was admitted on Sunday, said: “The washrooms are in a bad state. Water runs in the taps for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. If we have to relieve ourselves, we go outside the hospital. Patients are suffering the most.”
Dean Dr Shirish Kumar Chavan explained: “The campus requires 1,000 KL of water per day, but currently we are getting only 45 KL from HMWSSB. The seven borewells that supplied water have gone dry this summer. Central air-conditioning requires 150–180 KL for the chiller, so we shut it down. Last year this hospital performed 53,000 dialysis procedures requiring RO water, none of which were delayed. I joined here in March 2024. Every summer this hospital faces this issue. Once the monsoon starts, the crisis usually eases.”
He added that despite paying ₹10.5 crore for a dedicated water pipeline from HMWSSB, permissions were delayed: “After receiving payment, HMWSSB sought NOC from GHMC to dig the road. After GHMC granted permission, they asked for NOC from the Traffic Department. There is no coordination between departments. Our officers are visiting HMWSSB offices, but they must speed up the work as this hospital treats common citizens.”
On shortage of medicines, Dr Chavan said: “We have 600–700 different medications available. As tenders elapsed in March, new vendors were given orders. A few rare medicines are short. It takes around 42 days after placing an order for supplies to reach the hospital.”
Patients and stakeholders questioned how the central government boasts of ESIC Sanathnagar as a national benchmark in healthcare delivery, education and technology integration, while basic facilities fail. With 1,044 beds, including 159 ICU beds, 45 dialysis beds, 10 modular operation theatres and five advanced OT suites, the hospital handles an OPD load of over 3,200 patients daily, with 200-plus admissions across departments.
In medical education, the campus trains 125 MBBS, 83 MD/MS, 15 MCh, 12 Dr NB and 72 paramedical students, along with 25 AFIH trainees per batch. It offers digital libraries, modern laboratories, skill labs, simulation-based training and lectures by eminent faculty. The institute upholds ESIC’s four pillars: Learning and Teaching; Industry and Society Engagement; Research and Knowledge Transfer; and Leadership with Good Governance.
