Pavia Hospital employees denounce sanitary crisis related to water system

A union leader said staff at Pavía Hospital have been forced to work amid an overpowering stench of feces and contaminated water that emerges whenever faucets are opened.

By THE STAR STAFF

Employees at Pavía Hospital in Hato Rey are denouncing a severe sanitary crisis after more than a week of black, foul‑smelling wastewater reportedly flowing from the facility’s pipes, prompting union leaders to demand the immediate closure of the mental‑health institution, a halt to new admissions and an urgent investigation by the Department of Health.

Desiré López, international representative of the United Auto Workers (UAW) -- the union that represents hospital employees -- said staff have been forced to work amid an overpowering stench of feces and contaminated water that emerges whenever faucets are opened. She argued that the conditions make it impossible to safely care for patients who rely entirely on personnel for hygiene and daily support.

López said the situation has already disrupted basic patient care. Individuals admitted to the hospital have gone several days without being able to bathe, while employees fear that exposure to the unidentified wastewater could trigger an infectious outbreak inside the institution.

“No one has certified what is in that black water running through the pipes,” she said, noting that staff are doing “the impossible” to maintain dignity and safety despite the lack of clean water.

The union places full responsibility on the hospital’s administration for keeping the facility open under what it describes as dangerous and unsanitary conditions. López reiterated that the UAW is demanding three immediate actions: closure of the hospital until the issue is resolved, suspension of all new admissions, and a formal investigation by the Department of Health.

“Employees and patients at the Pavía Hospital in Hato Rey deserve safe, sanitary conditions,” López said. “We will not allow the health and lives of our people to be put at risk because of the administration’s inaction.”

The Pavía Hospital administration gave assurances on Monday that it had attended to the flow of waste water that had come out of the institution’s pipes during the past few days.

In a written statement, the institution indicated that “in recent days there was a sudden and unforeseen incident in a sector of the pipes of the installation, which generated a temporary alteration in the appearance and smell of the water in that area.”

“As soon as the situation was identified during the week, the corresponding maintenance, engineering and mitigation protocols were immediately activated,” the hospital said.