• Super Admin
• 06 Mar, 2026

A visit by SaharaReporters to the hospital on Thursday revealed that relatives of patients were buying sachet water, popularly known as "pure water", to meet their daily needs, including washing, cleaning, and even assisting medical staff during treatment. Patients and their relatives at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) in Kwara State have accused the hospital management of failing to provide basic water supply for over four months, forcing them to rely on sachet water for treatment and daily hygiene. A visit by SaharaReporters to the hospital on Thursday revealed that relatives of patients were buying sachet water, popularly known as "pure water", to meet their daily needs, including washing, cleaning, and even assisting medical staff during treatment. SaharaReporters observed patients and their relatives struggling to access water at several units of the hospital, including the emergency ward, specialist clinics and physiotherapy sections. One relative of a patient who spoke to SaharaReporters described the situation as distressing, saying families now buy bags of sachet water to support hospital operations. "We have been in this hospital for the past five days. It is true that there is water scarcity in this hospital. Patients have to buy pure water (sachet water) for treatment," the relative said. "When we asked the hospital management the reason for the water scarcity, they blamed it on a lack of power supply." According to the relative, the water shortage has forced families to purchase large quantities of sachet water to help hospital staff care for their patients. "We are buying one bag of water for N500, and it is what we are using for almost everything, including using it in the restroom," the relative added. "Even in the mosque, there is no water. We are using sachet water to pray. We can't be waiting for the hospital to get us water, so we bought many bags and kept them for use anytime the hospital staff need water to treat our patients." Some laboratory staff members who spoke to SaharaReporters also confirmed the situation, explaining that the lack of running water had affected their work and basic hygiene. According to them, the situation sometimes leaves staff unable to wash their hands after handling laboratory procedures. "Most times when we finish work, we cannot even find water to wash our hands because there is no running water," one of the staff members told SaharaReporters. The staff member added that the persistent water shortage had also forced the hospital to refer some patients to other medical facilities. "Because of the situation, the hospital sometimes rejects patients or refers them to other hospitals, patients we would normally have treated here," the staff member said. A hospital cleaner also confirmed that the problem had persisted for months without any meaningful intervention from the management. "The problem has been like this for more than four months. Nothing has been done to solve it," the cleaner said. According to the cleaner, hospital officials often attribute the problem to power supply challenges affecting the water system. "They always say it is because there is no light," the cleaner added. The development has raised concerns among patients and their families about hygiene standards and the quality of healthcare services in one of Nigeria's major teaching hospitals. Source: https://saharareporters.com/2026/03/06/exclusive-four-months-without-running-water-university-ilorin-teaching-hospital-patients