Water outage suspends care at Blantyre’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Nyasa Times
A water outage at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre has led to the suspension of some activities and the discharge of patients whose treatment required water. Director general Patrick Kamalo confirmed the situation after vandals damaged a pipeline in Chileka, prompting Blantyre’s water board to reduce pumping at Walker’s Ferry, Nyasa Times reports.
Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi’s largest referral hospital, has suspended some activities after its water supply was interrupted, Nyasa Times reports. The hospital’s director general, Patrick Kamalo, confirmed that taps had run dry as temperatures approached 35°C.
The outage followed damage caused by vandals to a valve in an interconnection chamber in Chileka. Blantyre Water Board reduced pumping capacity at Walker’s Ferry station to 50% to limit losses from the damaged pipeline, the organisation said in a statement on Thursday evening.
Patients who had travelled from across the southern region were reportedly sent home, while relatives of patients had to find water for hygiene and drinking. One woman who had recently given birth said nurses had asked her to bring water from home. Blantyre Water Board spokeswoman Evelyn Khonje acknowledged that the hospital should be among the priority facilities during disruptions.
The outage follows the closure of a pumping station in Blantyre, announced on 23 October. Health activist George Jobe called for emergency solutions, including water tankers available for care, surgery and hygiene, according to Nyasa Times.
