Rand Water Foundation is implementing a number of projects in Mpumalanga province, within Bushbuckridge and Mbombela Local Municipalities under Ehlanzeni District Municipality. One of the projects implemented is Rural Communities Water Supply that focuses in drilling and equipping of Boreholes in Clinics. The boreholes are aimed at supplying community members with water. Local clinics, as one of the readily accessible service delivery points in many communities, were identified as best location for community boreholes for ease of access and to minimise theft and vandalism.
Sand River Clinic
This clinic is situated in Mpumalanga province, Hazyview in Mbombela Local Municipality within Ehlanzeni District Municipality. The clinic has been in existence since 1998 providing primary health care service to the local community members. The villages that are benefitting from the clinic are: Sand River, Mphatheni, Mahushu, Hazy park, Elephant, and Comprehensive.
Situation before Rand Water Foundation
The clinic had no borehole and it used to receive water from the municipality, being delivered with a truck and filled in two water tanks. One tank was connected to the clinic’s plumbing system and the other one was not. The second was positioned about 15 meters from the first. The municipality used to deliver water once a week and if the tank that is connected to the plumbing system of the building was empty, then community members had to collect water manually from the other tank, using buckets. Sometimes both tanks ran out of water before additional water could be brought , and the clinic staff would have to request water from their neighbours, using buckets to make sure that health care facility was not interrupted. The lack of water posed a risk to the patients of the clinic, in particular for pregnant mothers who had come to the clinic to give birth.
Below are the pictures of the clinic and the storage tanks used:
Situation after Rand Water Foundation intervention
Rand Water Foundation appointed a contractor to drill and equip a new borehole after being informed by Department of Health about their water challenges. The borehole has been fully equipped and it is now operational. It has been joined to the plumbing system which supplies water inside the clinic. The borehole water is used in the clinic on daily basis by the staff and community members who are treated there. The staff and caretaker say that since the borehole started to work ,everything is better and they are no longer collecting water from their neighbours.
There is a peanut garden in the clinic yard and the borehole water is used to water it. The caretaker indicated that there is a plan to develop a food garden since now there is enough water. The clinic operates from 7 am to 4 pm, with a daily headcount of 125. people treated, which goes up to 3840 a month. The municipality is no longer delivering water to the clinic and the staff feel that Rand Water Foundation has added value to their community.
All the information was supplied by Mr. Henry Shabangu – Caretaker; Mr Sabelo Mduli – 2nd Caretaker and Ms Joyce Makhushe – Matron/ Clinic Manager.
