…as six villages go for days without water

LERATO MATHEKA

Mabote Filter Clinic has reduced its services due to lack of water in the area, Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital (QMMH) spokesperson Mothepane Thahane said.

The services according to Thahane have been scheduled to begin at 8am to 11am and this she said will leave hundreds of Basotho seeking services stranded until the Water Company restores the normal supply of water to the Mabote and Naleli villages.

The clinic on average serves about 1000 patients per day and the reduction in working hours to just three (3) hours will hamper service delivery immensely.

The water shortages started after a major water pipe burst last week Friday, October 5.

“We are currently at half operational capacity so we cannot see patients the whole day. We have not only reduced our working hours but we have shut down the dental services because the pressure of the tank water produces is not up to the needed standard,” she said.

She indicated that services which are still being offered throughout the day include issuance of drugs and delivery of pregnant woman.

“We are going to continue this way until the water issue has been settled,” she said.

Mabote filter clinic is situated at the edge of Ha Mabote near Naleli Centre area, North West from Maseru, it is one of the four QMMH filter clinics.

“We see plus minus 1000 Basotho a day and this means with the current situation, this number is going to be significantly drop,” Thahane said.

Naleli is among Tšenola, Tšosane, Koalabata, Sekamaneng, Ha Mabote and some parts of Khubetsoana which are currently experiencing water shortage from last Frida, October 5.

Water and Sewege company (WASCO) public relations manager, Lineo Moqasa, contacted for comment told the Centre the company started supplying bulk water to the affected clinic yesterday.

“We have given them (Mabote clinic) a platform to make added requests when they need more water to operate their daily duties. We started giving them water yesterday. Their decision to reduce their services should not be entirely attributed to us. We were there this morning and we will also be there later again,” she said.

“There is continued water supply shortage in some northern parts of Maseru. This is due to Metolong connector pipe burst which happened near Maria ’Mabasotho Church, located in Ha Mabote on October 5 2018.

“Measures to source the requisite parts for undertaking repairs have been successful and maintenance works resumed today but it will take a while before supply is fully restored,” Moqasa said in a press statement.

The statement indicates that WASCO continues to engage with relevant stakeholders to inform them about the situation and to partner with them in finding ways in which water can be delivered to the affected communities.

“One way in which water will be supplied is through a mobile water tanker which will be situated at different areas on a daily basis. The tanker started distributing water yesterday on October 9 from 5pm.”

Thahane when asked if the clinic was receiving enough water from WASCO noted that the water company supplied 10 000 litres yesterday “which is not enough but sustained some services.”

“We need about 10 000 litres and more depending on our patients and with the current situation we opted to prioritise our services with the water we are receiving from WASCO.

“They are serving our water tank with water but pressures needed for dental services do not need water from the tank hence the closure of the department,” she said.