The KwaZulu-Natal Health Department says it will need R185 million to purchase health equipment as well as re-build and repair clinics and hospitals damaged by last week’s floods.
National Health Minister Joe Phaahla and provincial Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu on Tuesday visited facilities that were affected by storms in uMlazi and Inanda.
Several health facilities in the province are not operating fully after they were flooded last week. The Inanda clinic that serves the communities of Ntuzuma, Inanda and Nhlungwane village has not yet re-opened.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health Nomagugu Simelane says in some cases, they had to divert patients to other facilities and use mobile clinics
“We have more than 35 that were affected, 8 in Ilembe and King Cetshwayo. We’ve got a few Inland in terms of uMgungundlovu and Inkosi Bhambatha area. The most damaged is here in eThekwini and Ugu District.
“Right now, we come from Inanda Newtown A and that facility is not in a state where it can see people so that is one facility where we had to close down services,” adds Simelane-Zulu.
District Development Model to be used to address needs of victims
‘Government to reprioritise budget’
Dr Joe Phaahla says the national department plans to reprioritise its budget and also source funding elsewhere, to deal with the damage to health facilities.
“We will be working hand in hand with the province in terms of supporting the rebuilding, so we will be working together with our infrastructure team also from the financial side will be comparing notes looking at sources of funding where the province can be able to put some money where we can also reprioritise also from the national budget. We want to make sure the equipment that lost and the infrastructure destroyed all those in the shortest time we will work with the province to make sure we bring our services back to action.”
Meanwhile, there was frustration from residents of Nhlungwane near Ntuzuma, where homes were destroyed. They lamented that aid has been coming at a snail’s pace.
Locals here lost all their belongings including clothes food, furniture, and even their identity documents.
Water disruptions in KZN
Meanwhile, some residents in KwaZulu-Natal have been battling to access clean, safe, and drinking water. At the same time, other areas have been severely impacted as they have no electricity.
Additional water tankers were dispatched to the most impacted wards in eThekwini following a week of heavy rains and floods across KwaZulu-Natal that caused extensive damage to water infrastructure.
Earlier in the week, tankers battled to access communities with several access roads cut off.
Water supply has been restored in several areas in the municipality.
KwaZulu-Natal faces major water disruptions due to flood damages:
