Patients at Mpilo Central Hospital forced to bring own water

Mpilo Central Hospital has been affected by the current water shortages in Bulawayo and this is forcing relatives of patients admitted at the hospital to bring water in containers.

Members of staff who spoke to CITE on condition of anonymity said the hospital has been experiencing water challenges for the past two weeks. Said a staff member:

The hospital did not have running water for the past two weeks. There is no water in the maternity ward.

They had said they would call the council, but we are not sure if they have called yet. Some wards now have water, but the pressure is very low.

Chief Medical Officer for Mpilo Central Hospital Dr. Narcisius Dzvanga told CITE that the hospital depends on the Bulawayo City Council for water and when surrounding suburbs are cut off, they are also affected. He said:

Mpilo does not have an independent BCC water supply. We are connected with other places, so we are equally affected.

We do have four functional boreholes unfortunately they are not directly connected to the hospital side.

This is because BCC refused to allow us to feed water into them from their systems.

We also have multiple jojo tanks that are strategically positioned around the hospital close to the wards.

We recently got assistance to draw water from them to the higher floors. The only challenge with them is that they fill up either through the bowsers or running water. If we get neither, then they will be empty.

Dr. Dzvanga, however, said the City of Bulawayo has been very consistent in dispatching a bowser whenever there is prolonged water rationing. -Citezw