Patients at Mofumahadi Manapo Mopeli Regional Hospital in the Free State have to bring in their own water. The facility has not had water for years, and is reliant on water tankers. 

Tsepiso Moloi (38) of Phuthaditjhaba who was recently hospitalised for a week has first-hand experience of the situation. 

“I was told to call home and ask them to bring me water to drink and bathe. When I first heard this I thought they were joking. I thought hospitals were exempt from water shortages. But it was true, there isn’t water at Manapo,” she says.

Moloi’s mother brought her three water containers. 

“I survived on the three 5l water bottles that my mother brought for me. It’s normal in Qwaqwa to carry a 5l water bottle into the hospital because we do not have water even at home,” she adds.

Another patient, Libuseng Matekane (45) from Monontsha,  says pregnant women were given water.  

“I managed to get water when I was there last Monday. But other patients in the casualty ward are told to bring water because the hospital prioritises the elderly and pregnant women. Some patients walk to Setsing to buy or fill their bottles,” she says.

“I don’t think it’s right for patients to be told to bring their own water to the hospital. The government should do more to address this and end it.” 

Another challenge facing the facility is constant power cuts. “We are experiencing constant power cuts. Each time power is being cut for Phuthaditjhaba, Bolata and Riverside residents, it affects the facility,” says Clare Monamodi, a data processing intern at the hospital.

Casualty operations have been moved from Manapo to Elizabeth Ross District Hospital. 

Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality communications officer, Kabelo Mongake, says the pipe feeding the hospital is the same pipe feeding many surrounding areas. “When we cut water for the surrounding areas it affects the hospital, but we also provide water tankers for the facility,” he says. 

Eskom was not available for comment. 

According to the Free State health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi, health MEC Viceroy Mahlatsi has visited Manapo to meet with relevant stakeholders to restore water inside the facility. 

“The Free State MEC for Health, Mr. Monyatso Mahlatsi has since the 25 June 2024 been seized with intervention engagements to resolve the electricity and water challenges affecting Mofumahadi Manapo Mopeli Regional Hospital in QwaQwa. 

“He has facilitated engagements with the relevant authorities in Maluti-a-Phofung with a view to arrive at a speedy and sustainable resolution to avert the long standing unacceptable conditions at Mofumahadi Manapo Mopeli Regional Hospital in relation to unreliable supply of water and electricity,” he says. 

A high level discussion took place on the current situation. Mvambi says the meeting resolved that, on Thursday  11 July, a technical team will visit Manapo Hospital “and implement short term solutions as well as outline long term plans for a sustainable resolution to avert the crisis that these vital service delivery enablers posed.”

The Treatment Action Campaign in the area has welcomed the MEC’s efforts to curb the challenges. “We have been calling for the province to intervene in the problems at Manapo Hospital. Water is critical and used every minute to clean and cook, the same as electricity. It cannot be cut for the facility, that is not alright,” says the organisation’s Thabo Seoka. 

The persistent power cuts at the facility led to the death of a patient last week. – Health-e News