Hospital water crisis disputed

ALLEGATIONS: PATIENTS ASKED TO BRING THEIR OWN BECAUSE OF SUPPLY INTERRUPTIONS

Health department says problem has been addressed and flow has been restored.

The Limpopo health department has denied allegations that patients at the Kgapane Hospital in Modjadjiskloof are forced to bring containers of water to the hospital, due to water shortages.

As a result, the hospital was allegedly unable to carry on with its day-to-day functions because water was needed for most of them.

It was further alleged because of the erratic water supply, authorities in the hospital advised patients to share blankets at night “because the hospital had also run out of linen”.

During The Citizen’s visit to the hospital yesterday, several women who had visited patients confirmed allegations of a water shortage, but said the problem had since been addressed.

“We were also told by our relatives during visiting hours to bring water to the hospital as per instruction from the nurses. But when we brought the water, security at the gates was baffled and nurses refuted allegations of a water shortage. They said it was a lie concocted by those with malicious intentions to vilify the hospital,” said one woman at the hospital gates.

Hospital management confirmed that at times the water supply from the source to the hospital had been interrupted.

“This is so because we have been experiencing illegal connections by members of the community, who illegally connected the pipe to a nearby community called EFF Village,” said one manager, who did not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

The department on Monday confirmed the illegal connections at the main pipeline nearby had caused problems at the hospital.

Limpopo health departmental spokesman Neil Shikwambane said: “Although there has been a massive reduction in the quantity of water supplied to the hospital in the recent past, it has not gotten to a point where a patient had to bring water to hospital. Neither have they ever been requested to bring blankets, since the hospital has enough blankets.

“The hospital has tried several times to disconnect illegal connections but community members continued to connect water illegally.” –