The Sunday News
Whinsley Masara, Sunday News Reporter
A TALE of ironies is an apt phrase in describing the serious health hazard that is staring grimly in the face of patients and staff alike at Tsholotsho District Hospital as it is operating without running water while its sewer system has not been functional for some time now, thereby defeating the purpose of having such an institution.
Sources at the hospital said the challenge of water shortages was a result of perennial electricity outages.
They said although there was a generator at the hospital it could only pump water into a Jojo tank and not the hospital system, leaving hospital staff to carry water for use by patients.
The sewer system issue is a challenge for the whole district although the hospital is highly affected as disease outbreaks are bound to emanate due to it being a public place.
A hospital source who preferred anonymity said: “Hospital patients have been using Blair toilets since water shortages started about nine years ago.
With the water woes, general hands have to push buckets of water on trolleys, naturally this has left the Blair toilets in a bad state too. Patients at the hospital prefer to use the bush to relieve themselves rather than risk their health in the hospital toilets,” she said.
Matabeleland North provincial medical director Dr Nyasha Masuka said he was aware of the sewer system issue and the water woes at the hospital, adding he was looking forward to council working on those challenges as the situation was dire.
He said there were serious risks of disease outbreaks at the institution.
“The hospital does not have running water and relies on water ferried in buckets from a Jojo tank and this adversely affects infection prevention and control. The hospital is now forced to admit only seriously ill patients and women for deliveries but still the situation is dire. There is no feedback from Zesa as to when the situation will return to normal or the progress in rectifying the situation.
“The sewer system matter lies with Tsholotsho Rural District Council and it is a matter affecting the district as a whole. It is naturally difficult for patients to walk more than 200 metres to a Blair toilet and the toilets are almost full to the surface, forcing many to use the bush. Expecting mothers are suffering too as they walk an even longer distance to the Blair toilets. This causes many to shun the waiting mother’s home.
“Water for the hospital is supplied by Zinwa and when there is no electricity, water won’t be available. The district gets electricity for a day to three and then it goes for two to three weeks, that’s now the routine at Tsholotsho District Hospital.
“The hospital is the most affected among other departments in the district and we wish something could be done immediately before there are disease outbreaks,” he said.
The Tsholotsho Rural District Council’s chief executive officer, Mr Themba Moyo, said they were waiting for funds from Government to work on upgrading the sewer system.
“A budget of about $210 000 is needed to upgrade the sewer system for the whole district. The major challenge bedevilling the sewer system is that of inadequate capacity to meet an increasing population. The RDC has, however, taken steps to solve the problem by adopting the sewer treatment plant and taking the matter to tender for the upgrading and rehabilitation of the existing reticulation system.
“The district is in desperate need of an upgraded sewer system because institutions like Tsholotsho hospital are in a sorry state as patients have depended on Blair toilets for too long,” he said.
Patients at the hospital said they prefer the bush rather than to risk contracting more diseases in the almost full Blair toilets.
“The toilets are only clean in the morning and they get so disgusting as the day progresses. When our relatives visit us, they make sure they go to the Jojo tanks at the back of the hospital where a pump is situated and fetch bathing and drinking water for us. Being admitted to Tsholotsho hospital has been a nightmare for the past years because of the water, electricity and sewer issues,” said a patient who preferred anonymity.
Hospital sources who cannot be named for professional reasons said the situation was bad.
“General hands do not have proper and safe clothing to clean those toilets and we see, especially the females, cleaning the toilets in slippers or sandals.
“The toilets are almost filled up and patients don’t get water for bathing as general hands can’t reach out that much. The general hands fetch water for other clinical duties at a generator pumped tap from the tanks,” said the source.
Meanwhile, Zesa Holdings spokesperson Mr Fullard Gwasira yesterday said he was not aware that Tsholotsho electricity supply had gone that critical.
He urged members of the public to always quickly report electrical faults to their office so that they get a swift response.
“Hospitals are always our top priorities and there is no way we can let a hospital go that long without power because we value human life, hence power should always be made available at all institutions for smooth flow of operations and services.
“Yes, we are facing challenges in some districts where we have to constantly replace Zesa equipment threatened by thievery and vandalism but we try the best we can to react to every reported case,” he said.
In 2014, the then Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr Paul Chimedza said the hospital was a health disaster waiting to happen and threatened it with closure after coming face-to-face with the sorry state of affairs at the institution. -@winnie_masara
