Patients at Pholosong Regional Hospital in Tsakane, Gauteng, have been struggling to bath or shower for nearly three months – with visitors having to bring in kettles to heat water for them, reports Health-e News.
The 300-bed hospital serves nearly 1m people from Tsakane, Kwa-Thema and Duduza.
While the problem of no hot water as well as intermittent supply was initially attributed to a boiler breakdown in December 2025 – which has since been repaired – Gauteng Health blames Ekhurhuleni Municipality for inadequate water pressure.
One patient, who was been in hospital since September, says the problem began in January 2026. “I haven’t taken a proper bath since then …. Most of the guys here also don’t bath,” he said.
The body odour in his ward was difficult to ignore.
Nokuzola Magona, whose brother was recently admitted, said she was worried about the risk of infection, and said that it was “evident from the stench in the ward that most of the patients don’t wash or bath”.
Blame game
Department spokesperson Nokuthula Hlophe told Health-e News: “The unavailability of hot water is not due to boiler infrastructure failure… Ekhurhuleni municipality has failed to ensure … the pressure and volume required to operate the system.”
The municipality did not respond to questions from Health-e News.
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