MB. GOVT HOSPITAL HIT BY 2-HR BLACKOUT

MBABANE – Death trap! The Mbabane Government Hospital does not have back-up equipment in the event there is an electricity outage.
On Monday, the hospital was without power for almost two hours.

It is suspected that the power outage was caused by the severe storm that hit some parts of the country, including the capital city. Nurses and doctors had to use cellphone torches while assisting patients.

Power went off at around 8:15pm until 10:30pm at the Out Patient Department (OPD) where patients who need urgent attention are received.
This is the new wing of the hospital which was officially launched by the late Prime Minister, Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini in August 2016.
Operations of the new department had brought hope that service delivery would be at its highest but that seems not to be the case.

Shortage

The issue of drug shortage and equipment continued to be a challenge for the hospital.
Some of the patients were left unattended during the electricity blackout period, as nurses wanted to protect themselves in case they commit any offence by pricking needles to the patients where they are not supposed to. Other patients had to turn back without receiving the necessary help due to the situation.
Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) President Bheki Mamba, said there was no area of the hospital that was supposed to be without power as they handled the lives of patients.

Mamba said it was unacceptable for a hospital of such great magnitude like the Mbabane Government Hospital, which was a referral, to be without power.
He said it was unfortunate because the employees ended up taking the blame in the unlikely event a mistake happened concerning the lives of patients.
According to Mamba, having no power for two hours was a danger to the patients.

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