Lentswe, Jouberton - Tshepong Hos-pital was flooded after a rainstorm earlier this week.
The flooding on Monday January 25 affected parts of the Emergency Department (Casualty), Outpatient Department and the Radiology Department. This prompted MEC Sello Lehari to say that it is urgent to improve storm water drainage infrastructure at the hospital. “This is a reoccurring disaster and it has been raised with all key stakeholders before with a view to pre-vent future occurrences.’’
Immediately after the incident, the Hospital Disaster Management Plan was activated, resulting in a swift and coordinated response to ensure patient safety and continuity of care.
Patients in affected areas were promptly assessed and safely relocated to appropriate admission wards and other functional sections of the hospital, including Radiology. Ambulances from other hospitals transferring patients were diverted to Klerksdorp hospital casualty as a temporary measure. Through the collective efforts of hospital staff and emergency services, the Emergency Department was cleared of water and was fully operational again by 03:00 on Tuesday January 27.
The MEC commended the rapid re-sponse by all involved parties. “We are encouraged by the decisive and professional manner in which this incident was handled. The immediate activation of disaster management protocols ensured that no patients were harmed and that essential services were restored within hours. This reflects our commitment to protecting lives, even under challenging circumstances,” said MEC Lehari.
The CEO of the Klerksdorp-Tshepong Hospital Complex, Thulane Madonsela, together with the Hospital Executive management had a debriefing session with affected staff members and also expressed appreciation to all responders. “I wish to thank our dedicated Team KT, the local municipal fire department and Kopanong Mine for their prompt assistance and teamwork. Their support was instrumental in stabilising the situation and resto-ring functionality to critical departments,” said Madonsela.
While operations have since normalised, the Department acknowledges the need for long-term interventions. “The hospital remains fully functional and continues to provide uninterrupted healthcare services to the community.”
