Johannesburg – Water shortages affecting the city of Bulawayo in Zimbabwe forced the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) to temporarily suspend operations over the weekend, Pindula News reported on Tuesday.
Despite emergency relief being provided the situation remains critical.
UBH chief executive officer, Nonhlanhla Ndlovu, confirming the situation said that the weekend had provided special challenges but that the city council had provided the hospitals with an emergency supply of water and that staff were also using a Jojo tank which was linked to all operating theatres.
Nevertheless, the situation remains critical with the health and care of patients compromised including maternity wards trying to operate with a water shortage while the chance of infectious diseases being transmitted has spiked.
Hospital staff are hoping that the local authorities will attend to the problem urgently because despite reassurances from senior management that everything is under control the situation has been persisting for nearly a month.
United Bulawayo Hospitals is a combination of the Mpilo Hospital and Central Hospital. The United Bulawayo Hospitals is a government tertiary hospital and subsidised by the Zimbabwean government. It is located in the Eastern side of the second largest city in Zimbabwe.