Sponsored Links:
sxc.hu
A woman with elephantiasis has laid a complaint against a hospital after she was turned away from without treatment.
Patients at the Tshwane District Hospital in Pretoria have not been bathed or cleaned by nurses for days because there was no water.
The only water supply that patients had for the past five days was supplied in two-litre bottles by members of the public. Spokesman for the City of Tshwane Pieter de Necker said he was aware of the problem and confirmed that it was not the city’s fault.
Hannetjie Niemann, 74, had her last bath on Tuesday morning, moments before she was admitted to the hospital. Her daughter, Joey Brits, said there was a foul smell in the ward when she visited her mother on Thursday.
“I started asking other patients in the ward when was the last time they had a bath and they told me three days ago,” she said.
“The toilets could not flush and I think it created a very unhygienic environment,” she said.
On Thursday, Brits collected 39 two-litre bottles and filled them with water. She distributed them among the wards and said patients and staff were very grateful. “At least they could wash their faces and brush their teeth,” Brits said.
On Friday, Brits called in the help of the Community Police Forum in Pretoria North, which helped her collect more bottles.
Brits said she was not sure how many two- and five-litre bottles they filled, but it was “a lot”.
They continued to fill bottles with water throughout Friday and Saturday.
Brits said that her mother could take a bath for the first time on Saturday after she was admitted.
Hendrika Kruger, the DA’s Gauteng social development spokeswoman, said she tried on several occasions to contact the Gauteng MEC for Health and Social Development, Ntombi Mekgwe, about the problem, to no avail.
“I tried calling several times and even sent an SMS,” she said.
According to departmental spokesman Simon Zwane, the department only became aware of the problem on Sunday morning.
“I have not managed to get hold of any hospital staff to find out what the situation is,” he said.
Kruger said that although the water supply had been restored on Sunday morning, she was worried about why it had taken the Department of Health and Social Development so long to react.
According to Kruger, the water shortage was due to a fault with the hospital’s valve system and not because of water shortages or problems with supply.
Kruger explained that the pipes were blocked because of a build-up of pressure within the pipes.
“The pressure could not be released. Maybe it is because the pipes are old or maybe it is because there was no pressure valve,” she said. - Pretoria News
|
|
Anonymous, wrote
While doing community service in Limpopo (Kgapane)we faced water shortages. Had to admit patients to wait until water came back on in order to apply simple measures like plaster of paris to a broken limb. We had to use bottled water to scrub for surgery. Ironically this ended up costing the hospital far more than the water bill!
YET AGAIN!!, wrote
You continue to vote for the ANC - have you not yet (after 19 years) seen what they (cannot) do??? They are lazy money grabbing idiots - and yet you keep on voting for them????? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result!! You will NEVER get a different result!! Once and for all KNOW this - the ANC DOES NOT CARE ABOUT ITS PEOPLE OR ANYBODY ELSE - IT CARES ONLY ABOUT ITSELF. How many more years is it going to take you people to learn this simple lesson??????? EISH!!!!
aNON, wrote
@root - great! to kick out the thieving 'leaders' we need to do what? DONT VOTE FOR THEM! as long as there are people that fan the flames of racist rhetoric this country will never stand together. we are NOT the system and we are NOT the government, dont kid yourself. on the personal side - DONT BUY STOLEN GOODS! you know its illegal but there are many people that support that. we are victimised if we stamp on criminals that attack us, any other idea? agreed there is a lot WE can do for OUR country but WE are EXCLUDED and not allowed to participate and remember its always OUR fault, we stole everything....? DONT VOTE FOR THE ANC AND THAT WILL GO ALONG WAY TO SENDING THE MESSAGE TO THE GOVERNMENT!!
root, wrote
@ Ted- all leaders that are thieves, must first be kicked out on leadership seats and the system deal's with them, but for small problem, we all South Africans needs to stand together and fight it, without blaming the Government or the system, if we keep putting the blame on them, that means we let them rule us, we are the system we are the government, no system can mobilise or move without human or with out us,,, so we need to do stop crime by putting the foot down on our homes first and in that point there is a lot we can do to make things better in this country, but if we are separated, it make easy for them to rule us in any way they want to.....We are the system and it cannot make any move without us.
Dry Lemon, wrote
On Friday when the Northern Cape Premier collapsed, she was rushed to the provincial hospital's private section, where a team of neurologists operated on her immediately. If I had collapsed at work on Friday, I would have had to wait hours for an ambulance, then waited some more at the hospital as I don't have a medical aid and could not afford the luxury of the private section of this hospital. Fortunately our Premier has an excellent medical aid and received only the best treatment immediately.
Ted, wrote
@Root - Dont you think we have done our fair share for our country till now - in Taxes, Blood, Sweat and Tears? And gotten what in return? Billions upon Billions of Rand stolen, squandered! A nation in hope that has been more than let down by it's leaders! How much more do I need to give to my country till it gets it right?
Anonymous, wrote
root, wrote
Main source of life is water and Hospital without water, I can imagine, but then again things like these do happen in other countries as well, it's not that is only happen here in African, Girl I like your way of thinking solving the problem, then go to the media, instead of going to the media and blaming everyone, it is time that we ask ourselves ( what can I do for my country ) not the otherway around or start labelling the problem with two colours, you all know what colours you like, and mna for now I am that I am.
Ted, wrote
Cant manage and look after the current system and you want to implement NHI? You do not have the skills and never will have - SA has definitely caught up to the rest of African standards! Well done to you morons who govern and you idiots who vote for them.
Bob D, wrote
Is there no management team in the hospital? Where are the Matrons, the senior nursing staff? This is just totally unacceptable. I suppose everyone just sat back and said the magic word "eish", but lo and behold - nothing happened. The mind boggles at the utter stupidity and incompetence of the management staff. And now we are supposed to have NHI. Heaven help us
Anonymous, wrote
Riegardt Steyn, wrote
aNON, wrote
flow diagramme - no water - phone water dept ask if interruption - yes, interruption...ok when will it restored - arrange for water tanker - no, water supply not interrupted, ok phone maintenance dept....oh oh, maintenance dept has no clue, not properly trained, job for pal - ok so now what - eehhhh, scratch bum, pick nose - ignore problem, someone else will come along and sort it out - act ignorant of problem. RING A BELL? DING DING?
Euclid, wrote
Welcome to Africa. Tax payer's money squandered by politicians while the weakest and most vulnerable are completely ignored. I defy even the most feeble-minded to defend the ANC administration.
keith, wrote
There is no excuse for this. Fire them!!!! In the old days, it could have taken a telephone call to the nearest military base and withing an hour or two, a water truck would have been arranged. Mind you, in the old days, they would never have allowed this to happen in in the first place. Fire the imcompetent fools!!
Juan, wrote
Why are people upset? This is africa, and culturally people have no problem with suffering as long as their leaders can live in luxury.
Joe Citizen, wrote
NHI is only for the herds. The ANC elite are all happy about going to the Private hospitals. The NHI system is another way to get the tax payers to pay through the nose just so the ANC can bleed RSA dry. It has been said millions of times, you will never find an ANC official in a government hospital. When they are ill, you will find them all heading for Garden City or Milpark....they will never go to a hospital which they fund because they too dont have much faith in these hospitals. It is shocking how these hospitals are run. The SANDF had to bring in their medics to help with staff shortages, and the CEO denied this to cover up her gross incompetence. The general public loathe to go to these state hospitals because the nurses are rude, the wards are filthy, the hospital is not fit to keep a stray dog. YET the NHI is coming.... I dont want to pay for this because it is a waste of time. I have a private medical aid which cost me an arm and a leg, but at least I know where I want to live my last hours THANK YOU. The ANC can keep their NHI and shove it where the sun dont shine.
Michelle Alice Roberts, wrote
Thank you to the Brits lady for taking the trouble to collect, fill and supply water. These are the heroes of our communities and stalwarts of our today.I hope someone is going to reward her for her deeds...
dave, wrote
unacceptable situation . lame excuses "build up of pressure" - my backside . We all know what the cause was.
Anonymous, wrote
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Services
Buying a car has never been easy. Motoring.co.za contains a large database of car listings with a user friendly search.
Start searching today »
Business Directory
You are here: IOL / News / South Africa / Gauteng / Hospital without water for five days
We like to make your life easier
Mobile
Browse IOL on your phone at m.iol.co.za.
Newsletters
Subscribe to our newsletters. News delivered to your inbox!
Comment Guidelines