Renovated ceiling at KH collapses

A LARGE section of the roof at the tuberculosis ward at Kimberley Hospital collapsed while the floor was flooded during the stormy weather this week.

Linen, hospital gowns, bedding and buckets had to be used to soak up the water.

EFF councillor Francis Thulo stated that the ward had been renovated recently. “This is shoddy workmanship,” he said.

Health and safety concerns were also raised due to the slippery floors and that the wet conditions would aggravate the health of TB patients.

Meanwhile, the door of the maternity wing at Galeshewe Day Hospital has been missing for several weeks, where newborns and their mothers are exposed to cold and draught.

Spokesperson for the Northern Cape Department of Health, Lulu Mxekezo, explained that the volume of water that came through the air-conditioning caused the ceiling to cave in at M2 ward at Kimberley Hospital.

“The stormwater has been cleaned and water stack pipes have been checked. The ceiling will be replaced as soon as it has fully dried out. The roof of the ward is fine.”

Mxekezo did not disclose the amount of money that was spent on renovating the ward or how much it would cost to repair the collapsed ceiling.

She further stated that none of the patients at Galeshewe Day Hospital were exposed to any danger.

“The contractor who fixed the maternity ward door at Galeshewe Day Hospital put a temporary one in for a few days, as the frame had to be completely replaced. Patients were not exposed to danger as the temporary door was in place. That task was completed more than a week ago.”

- Sandi Kwon Hoo