MPILO Central Hospital operations were severely disrupted yesterday after a Zesa sub-station located at the institution was gutted by fire leaving it without water and electricity.
LINDA CHINOBVA OWN CORRESPONDENT
Bulawayo chief fire officer Richard Peterson confirmed the accident saying they had attended to the blaze.
“Electrical cables supplying electricity to the hospital caught fire. The brigade was alerted at 12.57pm and got to the scene at 1.01pm,” he said.
“We used dry chemical powder, carbon dioxide and sand to extinguish the fire. Fortunately there were no injuries recorded.”
Zesa southern regional general manager Lovemore Chinaka said he was not aware of the sub-station fire and was therefore not in a position to state when the problem was likely to be rectified.
“I am not aware that something like that transpired at the hospital. I am yet to find out,” he said.
“However, under normal circumstances an electrical fault can be rectified only after detecting the cause.
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“We have to first investigate the nature of the problem, then we can say how soon the problem could be resolved.”
A hospital official who requested anonymity told Southern Eye that the fire erupted at the Zesa sub-station located within the hospital premises resulting in an electricity outage and water supplies being cut off.
“As we speak, we have no electricity and because our water supply is pumped by electricity, we no longer have water as well,” the official said “We have since connected the generator and as for water, we are sourcing it from outside taps, which is making the hospital’s operations difficult.”
The official said Zesa workers visited the hospital to assess the situation and said they would return to conduct further investigations.
“Zesa workers came and assessed the damage and they said they were going to come back for further investigations in a bid to resolve the problem,” the official said.
“Our worries now are the theatres. How will the theatre function when we do not have sufficient electricity supply? The hospital may have to suspend theatre operations until the fault is resolved.”
Efforts to get a comment from Mpilo Hospital management were fruitless as directors were said to be in an emergency meeting.
