Patient’s relative disgusted by lack of water at hospital
The municipality has indicated that it will dedicate four water tankers which will supply the hospital with water during the day. These tankers will pump water from about 07:00 to 16:00. Two additional tankers will be working throughout the night to fill the reservoirs at the hospital
WHITE RIVER – A woman whose mother was admitted to Themba Hospital last week was disgusted by the challenges the continuous disruptions in water supply at the hospital posed.
Themba’s water woes have been ongoing since 2011. The reasons for the problems vary, from broken pipes to reservoirs running dry. The woman, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation, said the patients had no water to drink. “Not all of the patients have relatives or friends who can bring them water from home.
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“I gave my mother a sip of water and noticed one of the other patients in the ward staring at us with a desperate expression on her face. I then realised that she had nothing to drink,” the woman said.
“There is a horrible stench in the hospital as the toilets cannot flush. The cleaners cannot perform their duties without water. One of the patients urinated on the floor and this couldn’t be cleaned,” the woman added.
Spokesman for the provincial Department of Health, Mr Dumisani Malamule, on enquiry said they had held meetings with Mbombela Local Municipality.
“The municipality has indicated that it will dedicate four water tankers which will supply the hospital with water during the day. These tankers will pump water from about 07:00 to 16:00. Two additional tankers will be working throughout the night to fill the reservoirs at the hospital,” he said.
He added that the department and municipality were working towards a permanent solution.
