Five days of no water supply at an Atteridgeville hospital took their toll on patients, staff and visitors last week, where not just the stink of the non-functioning toilets was overwhelming but where there was also no water for basic cleaning and mopping of wards, reports TimesLIVE.
Even basic hygiene requirements for staff at Kalafong Hospital were being severely compromised, according to a healthcare worker on Friday, who said they had to leave the hospital and go home whenever they needed to use a bathroom.
The disruption of the water supply was due to a pipe that burst in the area on Saturday. A cleaner told TimesLIVE that the low water supply had made their daily responsibilities difficult, and that it was almost impossible to clean the wards and bathrooms.
On Thursday, the Department of Health said the ruptured pipe had been repaired but that continued low water pressure was forcing the facility to reschedule non-emergency appointments and that the pressure had not yet returned to functional levels in the outpatient department, casualty and resuscitation units.
However, the department insisted that critical services, including maternity wards, operating theatres, mortuary and food services, remained operational, and that the facility was being supported by its back-up infrastructure, which included two boreholes, four sectional tanks and a reservoir.
The deputy federal chairperson of the DA, Cilliers Brink, who visited the hospital on Thursday, was alarmed by the crisis. He said the reservoirs and boreholes are designed to last 48 hours. “The fact that the system is currently failing suggests either a long-standing leak or a significant imbalance between low inflow and high consumption.”
He pointed out systemic issues, specifically a limited maintenance budget for the region, adding that “even if they wanted an external service provider, there are no funds to assist”.
“If they can’t handle this now, we are heading toward a major health emergency.”
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