KImberley - The lives of critical patients were placed on the line after the provision of oxygen was interrupted at the Kimberley Hospital when the pipes of the tanks were disconnected and vandalised on Thursday.
Surgeries were being performed on an eight-year-old child and a spinal patient when the oxygen supply to the patients suddenly dropped and emergency oxygen cylinders had to be used in theatres to finalise the procedures.
Medical staff indicated that the lives of all the neonatal patients connected to life support machines and those being cared for in the intensive care unit were at risk during the incident.
It appears as if no one was seen tampering with the pipes before staff noticed that the pipes had been disconnected from the cylinder.
Oxygen from the main cylinder, which is connected to an Oxyntaka tank, had to be temporarily patched as gas was leaking through the broken pipes.
Spokesman for the Ministry of Health, Lebogang Majaha, yesterday confirmed that services at the Kimberley Hospital had been interrupted as a result of copper pipe theft.
“At this stage investigations are still continuing and the perpetrators will face the full might of the law.
“We have beefed up security and we can report that the pipe has been repaired and services are running as normal.”
He stated that the hospital was in the process of procuring additional and replacement oxygen cylinders.
It was suspected that striking workers could have been responsible for cutting off the oxygen supply.
However, National Education and Health Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) provincial secretary, Sabata Jonas, stated that none of their members were involved in the incident and were back at work.
“We are not aware of the incident. Members received their salaries yesterday and are happy.”
The two-month-long strike was called off at the beginning of month after the union and provincial government agreed to allow services to resume at state health facilities.