"Every day our patients complain of the water crisis and we too cannot do our normal work due to inadequate supply of water," said Monwara Begum, nurse in charge of Urology, Cardiac and Neurology department of the hospital.

Monwara submitted an application to the superintendent of BSMMU on October 24 notifying the authorities of the acute water crisis in her wards.

She said almost al the departments in BSMMU hospital are facing water crisis for a long time hampering normal activities at the hospital.

"We cannot maintain cleanliness and hygienic atmosphere at the hospital because of irregular supply of water," said a duty doctor. "It becomes difficult for us to work at the Intensive Care Unit and operating theatres."

"We often do not get water for hand wash after a surgery. And sometimes we have to stop operation due to lack of water," said another doctor.

Hospital staff said water crisis took a serious turn since the former post-graduate medical research institute was converted into a university as the activities of the BSMMU have increased a lot with the conversion.

Demand for water increased with the opening of the extension building of B-block, many new services and departments during the past 3-4 years.

"The demand for water and other utility services have increased but we have to depend on the irregular supply of water without any alternative sources," said Dr Abdul Quddus, assistant superintendent of BSMMU hospital.

Hospital staff said the public works department has recently installed an additional supply pipe that has improved the situation a bit but it is not still enough to meet the increased demand. The authorities however claimed the situation has improved a lot.

"After setting up of new supply line the problem has came to an tolerable level but still we need more. We have already applied to the PWD for another supply line or a pump exclusively for the hospital to solve the problem permanently," said an official.