Muddy Water, Dialysis Shut; Sikkim’s Largest Hospital, STNM Crumbles Under Rain

State's Health Minister said that the hospital’s water supply became muddy and silted, affecting the reserved water system for dialysis procedures.

If the largest and most advanced government hospital can not withstand a few days of heavy rain, what hope is there for smaller healthcare centres? Where do patients in critical need go when
Essential services collapse without warning? And how prepared is Sikkim’s health infrastructure for climate-related disruptions?

These questions arise as Sikkim’s largest and premier medical institution- the Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial Hospital (STNM) Hospital in Gangtok was forced to shut down its Dialysis Unit due to muddy, silted water contamination following continuous rainfall.

State’s Health Minister G.T. Dhungel said that the hospital’s water supply became muddy and silted, affecting the reserved water system for dialysis procedures.

The hospital was left with no choice but to suspend services, affecting many patients who require regular dialysis to survive.

In response, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has directed the Planning and Development Department to immediately explore alternative water supply mechanisms, including rooftop rainwater harvesting, to prevent such failures in the future.

To mitigate the immediate impact, the Health Minister informed that arrangements are being made for dialysis services at various District Hospitals. Additionally, Manipal Hospital in Gangtok is also being prepared to accommodate affected patients.

“During the landslide, the pipes were completely damaged, broken, dislodged, and filled with slush and mud. When such muddy water enters the system, we cannot perform dialysis, which requires clean, purified water. The day before, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang convened a meeting with the Secretary of the Planning and Development Department. We have drawn up a comprehensive plan to address this issue holistically. Necessary equipment, including filtration units, will be procured and installed to ensure that dialysis services can run 24×7 without interruption,” said the Minister.

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