The Sunday News
Tendai Bhebe, Sunday News Reporter
TSHOLOTSHO District Hospital is working on a programme to rehabilitate its sewer system that has not been functioning for many years, posing a health hazard at the institution.
In an interview, Matabeleland North provincial medical director Dr Pugie Tawanda Chimberengwa said the sewer system has not been working properly for years and plans were already in place to rehabilitate it.
“The sewer system has not been working properly for the past 10 years but with the help of Red Cross we have managed to rehabilitate the system. Most of the work is done, we are left with a few things to finish up the project.
“Our patients are now using a flash toilet system. These are our efforts to try and improve hygiene in the environment. We are looking at the provision of proper sanitation in all our districts by having functioning toilets in hospitals,” said Dr Chimberengwa.
The chairman of the Tsholotsho Rural District Council, Councillor Esau Siwela, said poor sanitation in the district was posing a health hazard.
“For the past years the poor sanitation in the area has been posing a serious health problem. There were no functioning toilets at the council’s offices and people had to go to a nearby building because that was the only place they could find functioning toilets.
“However, through sponsors we have managed to restore the sewer system and the situation has improved,” said Clr Siwela.
“We are trying by all means to protect the people from these diseases. Earlier on, we had two suspected cholera cases but they were contained through vaccination.”
Sixty-nine people died of cholera between January and April this year countrywide.
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