Patients left stranded in Mmametlhake Hospital as staff leaves for lack of water

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Unions representing staff members in Mmametlhake Hospital say Mpumalanga Department of Health is not willing to come to the table to address needs and complaints that are constantly raised by employees.

The hospital has now found itself making rounds in the media having failed to supply a basic need for both staff members and patients following a concern that have been allegedly raised three weeks back by staff members for no water.

The newly refurbished facility was built last year in the middle of a Covid-19 outbreak.

As a protest towards the hospital management, nurses and support staff decided to leave the hospital premises saying they didn’t see the need to be at work because there was no water supply. Patients were left unattended for hours.

Speaking to our colleague, one patient said she was at the hospital because she had a referral letter from her local clinic. She arrived at the hospital hoping to be number one on the queue but she was told go back home and come tomorrow by one of the staff members because they were on strike and no one was going to assist them.

Union representative (PSA) in the area Noah Bodiba said that the water scarcity in the hospital is just a tip of the iceberg as there are many other things they have been complaining about like shortage of staff and to this day the only thing they get is threats and intimidation from the hospital management.

Department of Health Spokesperson in the Province Dumisane Malamule said besides the available boreholes, the hospital has also been receiving supply through water tankers and they are working on making more boreholes to increase the supply.

He said they are also working with the local municipality to fast track the process and work on strengthening communication with the hospital management and staff so as at avoid conflicts.