AFTER a week of intermittent supply to the Lower Umfolozi War Memorial Regional Hospital, water was eventually restored to all units of the State hospital by Friday afternoon.
This after load shedding implemented last Sunday afternoon reportedly resulted in low pressure problems at the hospital the following day, affecting the water tank level.
By Thursday afternoon, the capacity of the water tank had reached alarming levels and the hospital began reducing water consumption in non-clinical areas thereby increasing the pressure in critical clinical areas.
‘By redirecting water flow, this allowed the water tank to fill up. Surgeries and theatre staff therefore continued as normal,’ said Medical Manager and Acting CEO, Dr Ileana Popa.
‘When local engineers and World Health Organisation representatives investigated the problem on Monday, we found no burst pipes or leakages.
‘Engineers from the City of uMhlathuze indicated that load shedding had caused the pump to work slower thereby decreasing the pressure.
‘ At the moment, there are 80 000 litres in the tanker to cater for the entire institution,’ Popa said.
Not enough
And as the hospital is in the middle of its expansion project envisaged to the completed by the end of July, Popa said the current water capacity in the tank was not enough to cater for the increase of beds from 270 to 318.
‘We held a strategic meeting on Friday to discuss contingency plans and a way forward. We will be installing a water metre to ascertain our water consumption and check the water supply from the municipality.
‘We will also purchase a gauge to monitor water pressure in the tank several times a day. A new tank is being built and should be completed by July.
‘In the interim, we have sent out a memo to all staff to use water sparingly and avoid water wastage.’
To add to the water woes, copper pipes from within the institution were also stolen and thrown over the hospital fence in an isolated incident.
‘As this is a construction area, we have increased security measures to patrol the back of the hospital and have asked garden services to clear the area,’ said Popa.
