Water supply restored at Steve Biko Academic Hospital – after several days

Full water supply at Steve Biko Academic Hospital was restored on Wednesday afternoon after parts of it have been without any running water for several days.

The hospital blamed the water supply interruption on a faulty pressure releasing valve.

“A pipe had to be couriered from Cape Town and we only received it on Wednesday morning,” said hospital spokesperson Lovey Mogapi.

Mogapi said the pipe was installed soon after its delivery and by the afternoon water was available throughout the affected parts of the hospital.

She said only parts of the hospital were affected.

Mogapi said the water challenge was a concern, however, “a hospital building is just like any other building and not immune from having mechanical problems.”

Madie Roodt, whose 68-year-old mother was a patient at the hospital, told Rekord there was no water at her mother’s ward since last week Tuesday when she was admitted.

“Toilets couldn’t be flushed and she had to use a dirty bedpan because it could not be washed.

“How are staff supposed to do their work safely with no water?
“It is shocking.”

DA Gauteng health spokesperson Jack Bloom said the water interruption caused huge disruptions for both staff and patients.

“It appears the problem was due to years of poor maintenance.”

Bloom said water tankers were sent to the hospital but toilets got blocked, which meant patients from the upper floors had to go to the lower floor to use those ablution facilities.

He said the situation was unacceptable as hygiene was severely affected and the risk of infection increased.