Okakarara State Hospital battling with overflowing sewer

OKAKARARA, 08 MAY  – An overflowing sewer has been causing an unpleasant smell at the Okakarara State Hospital for almost three weeks, disturbing patients and nurses. Six nurses residing at the hospital’s nurses’ home adjacent to the drain told Nampa on Sunday they are tired of the unbearable stench.

“We cannot take it anymore. The drain has been overflowing like this for the past three weeks now,” they said on condition of anonymity.
The nurses’ home houses nearly 30 health officials.
The nurses also complained that cattle, goats and donkeys graze on the hospital premises, saying it is unsanitary. They do not know who own the livestock and on how they entered the fence of the hospital.

The nurses said they have laid verbal complaints with the hospital’s Senior Medical Officer, Dr Moses Bemba on numerous occasions about the overflowing drain and livestock grazing on hospital grounds, but it did not help anything.

Bemba’s official house is located less than 100 metres from the overflowing drain.
Contacted for comment on Sunday, Bemba refused to comment on the issues, saying he is restricted to discuss hospital matters with the media, and referred all questions to acting Otjozondjupa Regional Health Director, Frieda Stefanus.

Stefanus on Monday told this agency the issues were never reported to her office.
She later contacted Bemba and the two officials agreed to take the issues seriously and deal with it urgently.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Works and Transport Senior Works Inspector stationed here, Gottfried Kambanda, on Sunday said his office was never informed of any overflowing drain at the hospital.

“We had worked on this problem sewage drain at the beginning of this year but of recent, there has been no report submitted to my office,” said Kambanda.
He then called on the hospital management to send a formal request to his office so that the drainage system, he described hazardous, can be fixed.
NAMPA