from Bulawayo Bureau
TSHOLOTSHO District Hospital, one of the biggest health centres in Matabeleland
North, has been operating without water for two weeks, threatening the
institution’s health delivery system.
According to sources at the institution, the situation was so critical that
patients were being asked to bring water in containers because the institution
was now relying on a nearby borehole.
They said water that was being fetched from the boreholes was used by patients
who have been admitted at the institution and by medical staff in their
day-to-day activities at the hospital.
"The situation is so bad and there are fears that there might be a disease
outbreak. You can imagine how it’s like operating in a health institution
without water,’’ said a nurse who spoke on condition of anonymity.
She said Tsholotsho Hospital attends to more than 200 patients a day, making the
situation even more difficult, especially in the toilets, which were now
emitting a putrid stench.
"Though patients are being asked to bring in water, not all of them do so
and the water that is being fetched from the borehole is not adequate to cater
for the whole institution.
"Tsholotsho hospital is a big institution which needs running water and if
it continues like this, we are likely to have a disease outbreak,’’ she
said.
Matabeleland North provincial medical director, Dr Gibson Mhlanga, said the
institution was facing water problems because of the strike by Zimbabwe National
Water Authority workers.
"Ever since people from Zinwa went on strike, Tsholotsho Hospital has been
experiencing water problems.
"It’s unfortunate that there is nothing we can do because the problem is
not coming from us, but we hope that they will resume their duties so that the
problem can be rectified,’’ he said.
Zinwa employees have been on strike for almost two weeks demanding a 300 percent
cost of living adjustment.