A severe water crisis has hit Kabale Regional referral hospital living patients and their attendants stranded without any source of clean water. Patients allege that they have been informed by some health workers National Water and Sewerage Corporation disconnected water supply to the hospital over accumulated bills. Moses Ayebazibwe, an attendant to a patient at Kabale Regional referral hospital says that they track long distances to get water or pay 1500 shillings to boda boda cyclists to bring them water.
Ayebazibwe says the hospital management is not bothered about the plight of patients. Patience Tumuheirwe, who is attending to her son in the surgical ward, says that they are finding a huge challenge to stay in the wards without water.
She says that most of the patients are unable to afford the shillings 1500 to get water or trek long distances in search or water. Dr John Wanyama, the acting director Kabale regional referral hospital admits the water crisis at the hospital.
He however, attributes the crisis to the rampant load shading sayings that each time there is a power outage they face it rough. Wanyama explains that the situation worsened when the hospital’s water reservoir started leaking saying they were forced to disconnect it, adding that they need over shillings 40 Million to fix the 240,000 liter tank. He denies claims that the water supply to the hospital has been disconnected over accumulated water bills. Wanyama says that they are currently spending heavily to provide water to sensitize departments like Maternity and theatre.
//cue in:”we make sure ……
Cue out….water for a day:”//
Paul Mwavu, Kabale NWSC branch manager admits the hospital has accumulated bills but denies disconnecting its water supply. Mwavu blames the water crisis at the hospital unstable power supply by UMEME. He explains that it takes them two days on uninterrupted power supply to fill up their reservoirs to before they start distributing water.
//cue in:”if power went off …..
Cue out:………………failed to play their part:”//
NWSC has no alternative no alternative power supply source in Kabale. John Karugonjo, the Kabale Umeme branch manager attributes the power outages to human errors. He says that in most cases they are forced to switch off power because of vandalism.
