MATIKWANA Hospital in Mkhuhlu outside Hazyview, Mpumalanga has been struck by heavy rainfall, which led to flooding in various wards as well as the pharmacy and reception area.
Patients had to be moved from the wet wards to other wards. The staff then put buckets around the flooded places, but the rainfall damaged computers, files, medication, bed sheets, furniture and other essential items.
Mpumalanga Health MEC Sasekani Manzini visited the hospital on Wednesday, 27 December to assess the extent of the damage and provide immediate help to patients, staff and the community.
"We're here at the hospital because of the emergency of the hospital roof, which is leaking. The hospital was handed over to our department around 2014. But we're with the infrastructure team and we're waiting for the rain to stop. The leakages on the identified areas need to be closed immediately," she said.
She denied National Education, Health and Allied Worker's Unions' (Nehawu) allegations that the hospital roof was leaking everywhere.
"It's not everywhere that's leaking as Nehawu comrades said. But our workers are still here working trying to make sure that patients are not sent back home and we really appreciate that," she said.
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Manzini vowed that they're going to work with them to make sure the hospital is back in use.
"We know we're going to experience a lot of rain moving forward. But in terms of long-term plans, we're going to look at our next financial year plan as to what it is that we can do in terms of the infrastructure. We need to remove the asbestos to the new proper roof," she said.
She conceded that in terms of challenges, they know the hospital is one of the oldest hospitals in the province.
"But you will understand that we're building a state-of-the-art hospital in the very same municipality. It's impossible for us as the department to build all hospitals at once. So, in terms of this one and other hospitals, we will be able to deal with maintenance, so that we're able to make it a conducive environment," she said.
