The Bertha Gxowa Hospital in Germiston has had to cancel operations and divert patients because of a failure of water supply from the Ekurhuleni municipality.
I visited the hospital last week on Friday after receiving reports that the hospital ran out of water the day before.
It appears that the problem is due to a faulty water valve, and water tankers have been sent to fill the hospitals reservoirs.
The reservoirs can hold 140 000 litres of water, but the pumps can only work when it is half full and not enough water tankers were sent on Friday (each tanker holds 18 000 litres).
I am concerned by the slow response of the municipality which is putting great strain on the hospital as it tries to cope with a minimal amount of water.
The water supply problems need to be resolved as soon as possible before, otherwise infection risk will rise and surgery backlogs will lengthen.
Meanwhile, maternity and casualty patients are being diverted to other hospitals.
It’s one more example of a failing ANC administration which is imperiling health care in Gauteng.