adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
PLUMTREE District Hospital is struggling with service delivery because of intermittent power disruptions that are being faced in the border town as the institution is operating without an alternative source of power. The town has been experiencing unpredictable prolonged cuts which have lasted for up to two days as a result of maintenance work and worn out power lines.
To get by the hospital staff have been using candles for lighting during the night.
When this reporter visited the hospital at night during one of the power outages the institution was in darkness and nurses were operating using candles.
An official at the hospital who spoke on condition of anonymity said the maternal and post natal wards were the worst affected areas.
She said the hospital had been failing to attend to some patients because of the power disruptions.
“These days the power disruptions have been severe which has been making it difficult for us to perform operations. We are sometimes forced to refer some patients especially expecting mothers, theatre patients and mothers with premature babies to Bulawayo.
“The post natal ward is the most critical area because the incubators cannot operate when there is no power. As a result sometimes we wrap the premature babies in blankets while they wait to be transferred to Bulawayo,” said the hospital source.
She said the hospital did not have a generator that had the capacity to supply power to the institution’s machinery.
She said administration work was also done under candle light.
“It becomes difficult to operate especially at night. We attend to patients using candles. If we could have a generator to power up these critical wards then it could be better,” she said.
Families have been forced to collect bodies of their deceased relatives in a decomposed state because of these power disruptions.
Plumtree district medical officer Dr Langalokusa Sibanda confirmed that they were experiencing challenges in their operations because of the power disruptions and referred further questions to the Provincial Medical Officer who could not be reached for a comment.
A resident from the town, Mr Bekithemba Sibanda said it was unexpected of the health institution to be running on candles.
“Power disruptions are there and they are inevitable but the hospital should devise a plan to keep its operations going. A health institution is a delicate place and it is improper if patients will be banging their heads against walls while trying to make their way around the hospital at night. This is just torture for patients and workers,” said Mr Sibanda.
A councillor within the town Clr Maxwell Washaya said there was a need for residents to be alerted of power disruptions.
He said in cases of maintenance works the residents had to be informed of the duration of the power disruptions.
Clr Washaya said it was inappropriate for a health institution to experience frequent power disruptions.
A Zesa official said they were in the process of replacing copper power lines with aluminium along the Bulawayo-Plumtree power lines.
He said these maintenance works often took longer than anticipated which resulted in the prolonged power disruptions.
He also said some of the power lines were obsolete which caused untimely cuts.
“If the power lines are obsolete then the power utility has to replace them once and for all. These erratic power cuts are also damaging our electrical gadgets,” said another disgruntled resident, Ms Tracy Mpala.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter