X-ray machine conks out at Limpopo hospital
Elim Hospital also faces persistent water shortage
A water truck from the Vhembe District Municipality delivers water to Elim Hospital, which has not had a reliable water supply since 2019. Photo: Thembi Siaga
- Limpopo’s historic Elim Hospital does not have a functioning X-ray machine.
- Patients have to be sent to Louis Trichardt for X-rays.
- The hospital, which is more than 100 years old, has not had a reliable water supply since 2019.
The historic Elim Hospital in Limpopo has not had a reliable X-ray machine for the past year, forcing it to refer patients to the Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital.
Founded in 1899 by Swiss missionaries to treat local communities, particularly for eye conditions, Elim Hospital quickly earned a strong reputation in the region. In 1949 it became a state hospital and has provided essential services to communities with limited access to medical care. But today, the hospital’s equipment is updated, the X-ray machine barely functions and there is a water shortage that began in 2019 when the hospital’s two boreholes dried up.
When GroundUp visited, two elderly people were waiting for transport to Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital for X-ray services. One woman, who preferred to remain anonymous, explained that she had missed her transport while waiting to see a doctor and now had to wait until the next group of patients could be transferred.
“Now I have to wait for other patients to arrive so we can all be transferred to the hospital at Louis Trichardt, which is frustrating,” she said.
Dzunisani Chauke from Waterval said he had arrived at the hospital on 26 October with head and hand injuries, only to find the X-ray machine out of service. Nurses informed him he would be transferred to Louis Trichardt the following day.
“The situation forced me to sleep at the hospital, and I was in pain, but I stayed strong because younger patients were also waiting to be transferred. We all had to wait until the transport vehicle was full,” he said.
Chauke added that when they woke up, there was no water, and some patients had to use restrooms without running water as containers had yet to be filled.
“The water issue is a problem, and sometimes family members have to bring water to the hospital,” he added.
Lawrence Muvhango, the Limpopo organisational officer for the Public Servants Association (PSA), said the X-ray machine had not been functioning properly for more than a year and had finally stopped working in August. He said the budget for servicing the machines is centralised at the district office in Thohoyandou.
Muvhango said the PSA had sent a letter to the head of the Limpopo health department requesting urgent action on the machine and on the water supply.
“These issues affect our members’ performance, disadvantage the public, and violate their right to access basic healthcare and safe working conditions,” he said.
Limpopo Department of Health spokesperson Neil Shikwambana, acknowledged that the X-ray machine had been malfunctioning for weeks. He said a faulty component was being replaced and patients were being referred to Louis Trichardt Memorial for X-rays in the meantime.
“Hospitals require an uninterrupted water supply, but unfortunately, that is not the case at Elim. The communities are well aware of this challenge, which we have raised over the years. Despite these issues, the hospital continues to deliver services to the community as expected,” Shikwambana said.
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