Mpilo in 4-day power outage, turns away patients

A FOUR-DAY power outage at Mpilo Central Hospital has seen the country's third largest health referral centre turning away patients, with staff only attending to emergencies.

A Zesa sub-station located within the hospital grounds caught fire, causing a blackout on Tuesday.

Dr Wedu Ndebele, the Mpilo Hospital Clinical director, told Chronicle the situation had forced the suspension of routine surgical operations.

"We don't have electricity and we're relying on generators which are not enough to power the whole institution," he said.

"As a result, we've stopped routine operations and we're only doing emergencies because we wouldn't be able to sterilise all the equipment. So until the electricity is restored, we won't be able to go back to our normal operations."

Dr Ndebele said the hospital was relying on Mater Dei Hospital for sterilisation of gowns and instruments.

"We're sending theatre gowns, instruments that we use and of course dressing packs to Mater Dei Hospital for sterilisation. We're really thankful to Mater-Dei for offering that service. They're only doing it for emergency things because our volumes are very large," he said.

Dr Ndebele said power should be restored before Monday, adding that a new donated transformer and the old one that had been fixed where being mounted.

"They're mounting the transformers before Zesa electricians come in to restore power. We're, however, not sure when power will be restored but they're saying by the end of the weekend," he said.

Dr Ndebele said fuel to run the generator was available, allaying fears of a deepening of the crisis.

"We're still using generators and fuel to power them is available," he said.

"What we need are big generators to power the main hospital, the paediatric and the theatres in case of situations like this. A bigger generator which could power the main hospital broke down early this year," said Dr Ndebele.

Members of staff who spoke on condition of anonymity insisted the generators were fast running out of fuel.

"Normally, we keep reserves that should last 24 hours. We're approaching 96 hours on generator power. After restoration of electricity, the hospital might have a new problem to grapple with, in terms of cash flow because funds are being diverted to fuel the generators," said the official.

The officials said nurses were forced to carry patients up the stairs to and from the theatre as the lifts were not working.

Patients and nurses in some wards have been enduring cold nights because the heaters are not working, while some wards were operating without lights.

Zesa public relations manager Fullard Gwasira said as far as his company was concerned, Mpilo had power, adding that they were not involved in internal reticulation.

"On our end, Mpilo Central Hospital has power because there is power on that grid leading to the health institution. What is there is an internal fault which does not fall under our jurisdiction," he said.

"The transformer which is there at Mpilo has a fault and that's an internal development which must be addressed by the institution."

Mpilo Hospital caters for patients from the western end of the city as well as referral cases from the country's southern region including Gweru, Beitbridge, Victoria Falls and Masvingo.

The hospital is owed $16 million by patients and has engaged debt collectors in an effort to recover the moeny.

On Thursday, the hospital held its first ever investor and donor conference that saw individuals and companies donating money, machines and medicines.

Mpilo treated more than four million patients between 1991 and 2013, according to hospital authorities.