Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in Umlazi, south of Durban, has been without water for several days after a pipe burst, with patients thirsty and nursing staff unable to wash their hands properly.
eThekwini municipality said a pipe on the bridge crossing the Umlaas Canal had burst, and repair teams were working on the problem, reports TimesLIVE.
In the meantime, the municipality said it would dispatch water tankers to the hospital and other affected households and businesses.
A hospital patient’s description of the problem was shared on social media, in which she said they had not received tea or juice for two days, and that nurses were unable to wash their hands properly.
“They are putting on soap, washing and wiping off with tea towels. Two days before that we had only cold water to shower. Never mind that gowns can’t be washed…”
A site inspection was carried out by the DA on Monday, and an appeal made to NPOs and the private sector to donate bottled water to the hospital.
“The outage relating to yet another burst pipe has caused challenges not only to the repair team but to the community since Thursday last week,” said Andre Beetge, DA eThekwini executive committee member.
“Repairs were unable to be concluded over the weekend, leaving patients desperate after hospital reserves ran dry on Saturday afternoon.
“A temporary solution … was considered while a new pipe is being constructed. However, this may only take effect in the next seven to 10 days.”
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