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Freedom Mupanedemo Midlands Bureau
Zesa has switched off power at Mnene Hospital over a bill of about $700 000, plunging the critical institution into darkness.
Authorities at the 27-bed hospital said they have been without power since last week and besides the problem of emergency care, there are fears over the state of the mortuary.
“We are the district’s referral hospital and the situation is bad,” said a hospital official who requested not to be named. “We can’t attend to emergencies with no power. The situation at the mortuary is also very bad.”
The official said they have since approached the local Member of Parliament, Cde Tafanana Zhou, so that he could engage Zesa over the matter.
“We are a critical institution and for them to switch off power is a sign they don’t care about human life,” said the official.
Cde Zhou said he was aware of the situation at the hospital, but could not help.
He said the hospital was not a Government hospital.
“The challenge that there is nothing I can do because the hospital is not a Government hospital and its Zesa bill should be settled by the authorities that run it,” said Cde Zhou. “It is a mission hospital.”
Zesa southern region representative Engeneer King Dube said they did not switch off the entire hospital.
“Mnene Hospital owes about $700 000 on its electricity bill and what we have done is to switch off other sections like the hospital staff cottages and other areas,” he said.
“We did not cut power to the critical sections of the hospital like wards and mortuary.”
Eng Dube urged institutions to service their electricity bills so that the power utility is able to purchase power which he said was in short supply.
Online Reporter