The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape is concerned by reports of contaminated water at the Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe (RMS) Hospital in Kimberley and is urgently seeking answers regarding the situation.

Dr Isak Fritz, MPL & DA Northern Cape Spokesperson of Health, says this comes after notices were put up in and around the hospital last week, warning staff and patients not to use the tap water until the source of the contamination has been found. The water may only be used for the flushing of toilets.

“According to the notice, the municipality in conjunction with their Environmental Health Practitioners did routine water sampling of the hospital’s water about a month ago. The results showed that there was contamination of the water supplied to Block KLM, the admin block, the mortuary and the Accident and Emergency department.”

“Despite the sampling having been done in March already, it is very worrying that patients and staff were still using the water up until almost the end of April. We wonder how many people may have consumed this contaminated water, or suffered adverse effects as a result?”

“There have long since been concerns about the quality of the water from the hospital’s own reservoir and storage tanks. As if the frequent Sol Plaatje municipal induced water cuts have not been enough of a disruption, it is debilitating for the facility to now have to struggle with further clean water supply in the midst of a pandemic, when hygiene practices are of utmost importance to ensure infection control.”

“The DA urgently wants to establish what prompted the sampling and what contaminants were found. We also want to know how the hospital has been managing its water sources, how the contamination occurred, as well as what mitigation strategies are in place to ensure the supply of clean water to the whole of the facility.”

“The DA will submit questions to the health department and to Sol Plaatje to get more details on the water contamination.”

“The last thing the hospital needs now is a self-inflicted outbreak on top of Covid-19,” concludes Fritz..

Waterbesoedeling by RMS-hospitaal moet dringend verduidelik word

Berigte oor waterbesoedeling by die Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe-hospitaal in Kimberley is vir die Demokratiese Alliansie (DA) in die Noord-Kaap ‘n groot bron van kommer. Ons eis dringende antwoorde rakende hierdie situasie. 

Dr. Isak Fritz, LPW en DA Noord-Kaapse woordvoerder van gesondheid, sê die kennisgewings is verlede week in en om die hospitaal opgesit. Voorts sê hy: “Personeel en pasiënte word gewaarsku om nie die kraanwater te gebruik voordat die bron van die besoedeling gevind is nie. Water mag slegs gebruik word vir die spoel van toilette.”

“Volgens die kennisgewing het die Sol Plaatje-munisipaliteit ongeveer ‘n maand gelede, in samewerking met hul omgewingsgesondheidspraktisyns, roetine-watermonsters van die hospitaal se water geneem. Die resultate het aangedui dat die water wat aan Block KLM, die adminblok, die lykshuis en die afdeling vir noodgevalle voorsien word, besoedel is.”

“Dit is baie kommerwekkend dat pasiënte en personeel die water nog tot amper einde April gebruik het ondanks die feit dat die watermonsters reeds in Maart geneem is. Ons wonder hoeveel mense al hierdie besmette water gebruik het of nadelige newe-effekte ervaar het?”

“Daar is lankal kommer oor die gehalte van die hospital se water uit hul reservoir en opgaartenks. Munisipale watertekorte het al baie ontwrigting veroorsaak. Die fasiliteit word nou verder verlam deur die huidige waternood, terwyl higiëne en infeksiebeheer tydens ‘n pandemie van uiterse belang is.”

“Die DA wil dringend vasstel wat aanleiding gegee het tot die monsterneming en tot watter mate besoedeling gevind is. Ons wil ook weet hoe die hospitaal sy waterbronne bestuur, hoe die besmetting plaasgevind het, en watter versagtingstrategieë daar is om die voorsiening van skóón water aan die hele fasiliteit te verseker.”

“Die DA sal vrae aan die gesondheidsdepartement en aan die Sol Plaatje-munisipaliteit stuur om meer inligting oor die waterbesoedeling te bekom.”

“Die laaste ding wat die hospitaal nou nodig het, is ‘n self-toegediende uitbreking bykomend tot die koronavirus-pandemie,” sluit Fritz af.