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DENOSA urges health facilities to ensure sufficient water availability
Media statement
Wednesday, 24 June 2015
Nurses’ work is compromised at KwaMhlanga Hospital as there has been no water for three weeks
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) urges all health facilities in the country’s semi-rural areas to ensure that there is sufficient water and energy supply in their facilities for health professionals to be able to do their work properly and for patients to recover optimally.
The cut-off of water at KwaMhlanga Hospital in Mpumalanga is severely compromising the work of nurses and doctors in the facility, and we call upon all management of hospitals to avoid the occurrence or repeat of this in their facilities. Water has been cut off from the hospital for three weeks now, making the work of infection control at the facility a nightmare for health professionals. Nurses are forced by circumstances to treat patients interchangeably without washing their hands in-between, which compromises the quality of care given to patient.
We issue this statement because water and health go hand-in-hand and one is not complete without the other. We are disturbed that as a result of water cut-off, kitchen personnel were only able to start preparing food for patients at 10h00 a few days ago instead of 06h00. This is another critical area that should not be compromised at all costs in a health facility. Nutrition plays a critical role in the recovery of patients. Patients must eat before taking medication, and this must happen very early in the morning. Equally, bathing patients in the morning is critical for their recovery.
Disturbingly, there is a borehole at the facility, but it is not producing water. DENOSA urges all health facilities to ensure that their boreholes are operational so that they could assist in times of water cut-offs.
DENOSA will engage in multilateral talks with key stakeholders in the affected area, including Chris Hani District Municipality as well as South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO), to ensure that a lasting solution is found around this problem.
Ends
Issued by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA)
For more information, contact:
Nhlanhla Dladla, DENOSA Provincial Organiser (for Mpumalanga perspective)
Mobile: 082 821 1471
Or
Sibongiseni Delihlazo, DENOSA Communications Manager (for a national perspective)
Mobile: 079 875 2663
Email: sibongisenid@denosa.org.za
Website: www.denosa.org.za
Facebook: DENOSA National Page
Twitter: @DENOSAORG
