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City hospital without hot water

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Patients at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe complained that they are now depending on kitchen staff employed at the hospital when they need hot water.

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AS THE winter season approaches, patients at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe complained that they are now depending on kitchen staff employed at the hospital when they need hot water.

The patients said that they are supplied with hot water in containers when they need to bathe themselves. The hospital has apparently been without any running hot water for several months.

One female patient from Kuruman, who went to hospital to give birth, said she found the hospital without hot water when she was admitted.

“I was admitted last week Tuesday. When I arrived I found that the women in my ward were given or asked for hot water to bathe from the kitchen staff,” she said.

Another patient confirmed the situation.

“I was also admitted last week and found that the bathrooms in our ward does not have hot water. We have to ask for water from the employees who are working in the kitchen. We then wash ourselves in the basins we are provided with. We do not know how long this problem is going to last. It is very challenging to some patients as some have given birth and have stitches,” she said

A family member of one of the patients lashed out at the hospital for the problem.

“There are so many people from across the Province who are reliant on the medical services at this hospital. It is just incomprehensible how patients, including medical staff, are subjected to such conditions. This problem was supposed to be addressed with urgency. Cleanliness and hygiene is supposed to be a top priority at health facilities, but it appears that is not the case at this hospital,” she said.

The Northern Cape Department of Health spokesperson, Lulu Mxekezo, said they are aware of the problem and were working to address it.

“The department is aware of the hot water challenge at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital and is working very hard to resolve it as soon as possible. We have a service provider who is working on the water issues,” said Mxekezo.

She added that the department is awaiting delivery of the required items to resolve the problem.

“We are awaiting delivery of the items needed to resolve the issues at RMSH. The delay is caused by the service supplier due to the global situation. We apologise to patients who are affected by this challenge,” she said.

Families of young patients at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital have complained that there has been no hot running water at the hospital for months. Picture: Soraya Crowie
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