South Africa, Limpopo: The Limpopo Health Department wishes to dispel as untrue the social media reports alleging that patients at Malamulele Hospital, inclusive of those in the maternity ward, are forced to fetch water outside the hospital due to water shortages in the hospital.
It is true that the hospital has been without running water since Christmas due to a pipe burst. As a result, the hospital has been relying on the municipality water tankers for supply. It must also be noted that the hospital has boreholes, but they are of very little impact due to their extremely low yield.
As a result, the restoration of the water supply at the hospital completely depends on the district municipality’s agility to fix the burst pipe.
The protracted decline of sustainable water supply in hospitals in the province has been a thorn in the side of the department since it is practically not possible to run a hospital efficiently without proper running water. Some of the severely hit hospitals also include Elim Hospital in Vhembe District and Kgapane Hospital in Mopani District.
The department is extensively engaging the water services authorities to find a sustainable resolution to this problem.
The department has written to the respective municipalities indicating that without a speedy resolution to this long-standing challenge, it might leave no choice but to close these hospitals. This week, the department will meet the respective authorities on their plans to resolve the matter.
Last year in October, Deputy Minister David Mahlobo, in partnership with Coca-Cola, launched the Cokeville Ground Water Harvesting project in Ga Ramoshoane, in the Capricorn District in Limpopo.
Coke started the project, an initiative set out to respond directly to the water shortages in the country, particularly in distressed rural communities.
The project consists of three boreholes and a harvesting system that is solar powered.