Limpopo’s historic Elim Hospital, which is more than a century old, does not have a functioning X-ray machine, and has not had a reliable water supply since 2019.
One patient said when he arrived with injuries after an accident, nurses told him he would need to be transferred to Louis Trichardt Hospital the next day, according to a GroundUp report.
He had to spend the night at Elim, he added, and in the morning, there was no water, and “some patients had to use restrooms without running water as containers had yet to be filled”.
“The water issue is a problem, and sometimes families have to bring water to the hospital for patients.”
Lawrence Muvhango, the Limpopo organisational officer for the Public Servants Association (PSA), said the X-ray machine had not been functioning properly for more than a year and had finally stopped working in August. He said the budget for servicing the machines was centralised at the district office in Thohoyandou.
Muvhango said the PSA had sent a letter to the head of the Limpopo Health Department requesting urgent action on the machine and on the water supply.
“These issues not only affect our members’ performance, but also disadvantages the public, and violates their right to access basic healthcare,” he said.
Limpopo Health spokesperson Neil Shikwambana acknowledged that the X-ray machine had been malfunctioning for weeks. He said a faulty component was being replaced and patients were being referred to Louis Trichardt in the meantime.
“Hospitals require an uninterrupted water supply, but unfortunately, that is not the case at Elim. The communities are well aware of this challenge, which we have raised over the years. Despite these issues, the hospital continues to deliver services to the community as expected,” he said.
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X-ray machine conks out at Limpopo hospital
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