Water crisis at the Opuwo hospital
The acting chief executive officer of the Opuwo Town Council says a booster pump would be installed soon.
The Opuwo State Hospital has been without water since Friday.
The acting health director in the Kunene Region, Jason Ndahepele, said the crisis was caused by low pressure in the water system.
Patients and frustrated staff at the hospital called Nampa on Tuesday, complaining about the situation and requesting the news agency to find out from management what the problem was.
When Nampa called the hospital on Wednesday, the situation was still the same.
Insiders said the theatre, the maternity ward and casualty section were the most affected.
“The patients in other sections use hosepipes to get water for bathing and drinking and toilets are not working as there is no water to flush,” an employee said.
In the meantime, the town council is supplying water to the hospital by tanker on a daily basis.
Another employee said dirty linen had been taken to the Oshakati State Hospital for washing.
The same employee said it was not the first time the hospital had been without water for days, and they did not know why management did not find a lasting solution.
The previous water crisis happened in November last year.
A local private practitioner, Dr Fillemon Nakanduungile, said a water crisis in a health institution could lead to loss of lives.
“Water is a very useful commodity in the health sector as it is used to sterilise equipment when treating a patient, washing of hands after and during treatment,” the doctor said.
He said if toilets were not flushed they could lead to a transmission of diseases from patient to patient using the same dirty toilet.
Nakanduungile said the dirty toilets caused a bad smell in the entire hospital and forced patients to relieve themselves in the hospital yard.
The acting chief executive officer of the Opuwo Town Council, Obet Katjoho, said a pump was needed to boost water pressure in the pipes and fill the hospital tank.
He said the council together with the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Ministry of Health and Social Services had approached NamWater in November last year. Katjoho said a booster pump would be installed soon.
NAMPA
The acting health director in the Kunene Region, Jason Ndahepele, said the crisis was caused by low pressure in the water system.
Patients and frustrated staff at the hospital called Nampa on Tuesday, complaining about the situation and requesting the news agency to find out from management what the problem was.
When Nampa called the hospital on Wednesday, the situation was still the same.
Insiders said the theatre, the maternity ward and casualty section were the most affected.
“The patients in other sections use hosepipes to get water for bathing and drinking and toilets are not working as there is no water to flush,” an employee said.
In the meantime, the town council is supplying water to the hospital by tanker on a daily basis.
Another employee said dirty linen had been taken to the Oshakati State Hospital for washing.
The same employee said it was not the first time the hospital had been without water for days, and they did not know why management did not find a lasting solution.
The previous water crisis happened in November last year.
A local private practitioner, Dr Fillemon Nakanduungile, said a water crisis in a health institution could lead to loss of lives.
“Water is a very useful commodity in the health sector as it is used to sterilise equipment when treating a patient, washing of hands after and during treatment,” the doctor said.
He said if toilets were not flushed they could lead to a transmission of diseases from patient to patient using the same dirty toilet.
Nakanduungile said the dirty toilets caused a bad smell in the entire hospital and forced patients to relieve themselves in the hospital yard.
The acting chief executive officer of the Opuwo Town Council, Obet Katjoho, said a pump was needed to boost water pressure in the pipes and fill the hospital tank.
He said the council together with the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Ministry of Health and Social Services had approached NamWater in November last year. Katjoho said a booster pump would be installed soon.
NAMPA
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