Oxygen-dependent woman forced to move due to power outages

It has been almost two years since Caroline Motshabi Khambule from Sarafina, Ikageng, opened up about how she became dependent on a 24-hour home oxygen machine after falling gravely ill in 2018.

At the time, Caroline explained in depth how she was one of the people who suffer the most when there is no electricity in her area. In addition, she asked the municipality to assist her in any way.

Almost two years later, the 51-year-old is yet to receive help, despite lodging a complaint on the municipal service delivery app. According to Caroline, her health continued to deteriorate, and she had to move to her family home, bringing her closer to clinic facilities in case of emergency.

“Just recently, I went in for a regular check-up, and they discovered that things are not getting any better. I’m now preparing to temporarily move in with my daughter in the Vaal so she can take better care of me,” she said.

Before Caroline became ill, she was an active person who worked as an office administrator and could climb flights of stairs daily. Today, all that is a distant memory. All she holds onto is being positive and taking it one day at a time. Before Caroline moved, she shared that every time it rains or there are strong winds, there is a power outage in the area of Ikageng where she lived. Residents are often left wondering when the power will return. “Whenever the electricity goes out, my anxiety shoots through the roof,” she says.

Under such circumstances, she has no choice but to use her 200-litre oxygen cylinder, which only lasts about two to three hours if she uses it sparingly. But although she has that alternative, every bit must be used wisely because she often has to wait a month before it is refilled, due to the extremely high demand.

“When I use the cylinder, I set it lower than I am supposed to because the power is sometimes only restored the following day,” she explains.

Caroline, who now only has the strength to bathe herself every day, says she has contacted the municipality about the issue numerous times. “I have asked for help repeatedly, but my pleas seem to fall on deaf ears,” she says.

For now, Caroline is optimistic about what the future holds and can only hope once she returns to Potchefstroom, she will have her own place to call home. “I have since applied for a stand but have not heard anything yet. Maybe once I am free from being a burden to those around me and in my own space, I will slowly begin to recover,” she concluded. The Herald asked the municipality for comment but had received none by the time of print.