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| File Picture: Masvingo Provincial Hospital main gate |
Brighton
Chiseva
MASVINGO
– Theatre
operations at Masvingo Provincial Hospital are being intermittently suspended
due to water problems which have plunged the whole city into a crisis with
boreholes and water bowsers being the alternatives.
The situation has worsened in recent days such that patients
often need to bring their own water to the hospital, a situation that is
delaying some clinical processes that require water and putting lives at risk.
Patients who spoke to TellZim News said the situation was so
dire that being at home was better than being admitted at the province’s
biggest referral institution.
“The water situation at the hospital is not good, I have a
patient who is there whose wound has not been cleaned for a number of days
because there is no water. I had to bring water from home where we struggle
again to get it,” said a source
Another source said they have been bringing water to the
hospital for a patient who has been admitted there for the past two weeks.
“I have been going with water to the hospital for the past
two weeks for bathing and other needs.
“Sometimes, the water is found at the Jojo tank which is at
the hospital entrance but how do seriously ill patients travel from the wards
to the gate to get water?
“Patients who cannot bring their water often find it hard to
even take their tablets and have wait for relatives to bring them water. They
end up not taking their medication at prescribed time,” said another source
Masvingo Provincial Medical Doctor (PMD) Dr Amadeus Shamhu
said the hospital has two boreholes which had a capacity to supply the
hospital.
“The hospital has two boreholes which have the capacity to
serve the hospital, however, if there are any complaints, they have not reached
my office but I will look into the matter,” said Shamhu.
The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child
Care Dr Jasper Chimedza said he was in a meeting and referred questions to the
ministry’s public relations manager Donald Mujiri who said the supply of water
at public health institutions fell under the purview of local authorities and
Zinwa.
“As a ministry, we rely on other ministries and responsible
authorities, sometimes our institutions are supplied by ZINWA and the local
councils through their responsible ministries. They get a budget for that and
if there are any water challenges we refer to them,” said Mujiri.
Masvingo City Council has attributed the water problems to
Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority’s (ZESA) faulty transformer which powers
the Bushmead Water Works.
