A SECURITY guard at the Tshwane hospital is worried.
The guard has expressed concern about working beneath a structure that is unstable and a damaged ceiling.
This follows the severe damage that a storm that struck overnight on Tuesday, 19 December caused to the Odi District-Hospital in Mabopane, Tshwane and three other primary healthcare institutions.
The collapse, according to guard Thabo Motaung (31) from Soshanguve, who saw the ceiling collapsing while on nightshift duty at the hospital's casualty department, was as a result of a storm, which was primarily caused by intense lights.
He claimed that as soon as the lighting started, he rushed to the potter's bay to close the windows and when he returned, the matron asked him to hand over work schedule papers to nurses in wards.
"The ceiling almost collapsed on me. It only took 10 seconds after I received the work schedule paper for the corridor ceilings to collapse," he said, adding that it only took him six steps to escape what could have been a nightmare.
"I was scared, but I’m still scared because the ceiling hasn't been fixed yet, and I'm afraid it'll fall and injure someone," he said, adding that the hospital continued to operate after the incident, although they experienced a brief power outage, but backup generators kept them running through the night.
ALSO READ: PICS: Flash floods claim five lives
When Daily Sun visited the hospital on 20 December, the extent of the damage included leaks in various wards from the roof and a fallen ceiling in the corridors of the casualty and reception area, outside the welcome board of the hospital alongside the front bay of the hospital and the antenatal-care department, and a portion of the hospital's palisade fence, which also sustained damage.
Gauteng Department of Health informed the public, especially those in Tshwane, that the storm's damages never resulted in any harm to patients or personnel at these facilities.
Tshepo Shawa, the spokesman for the health MEC, advised locals to continue getting medical care as usual despite the conditions.
He said that the primary medical facilities affected are in Shanghai, also known as the Block TT Clinic, the KT Mutubatse Clinic, and the Sedilega Clinic in Mabopane.
"All three facilities have suffered severe damage, including leaks in the ceiling and roof that have flooded the wards. The storm has been flooding the clinics due to malfunctioning storm water channels," he said.
Shawa that the department has been ensuring that contractors and the infrastructure unit evaluate the damage and put in place quick steps to ensure that health services are not further compromised and to prevent harm since Wednesday, December 20.
When asked when the facilities would be repaired, he explained that predicting a timeline for facility refurbishment is difficult, adding that all the health facilities are operating without hindrance.
