Gift of the Givers begins drilling for water at Helen Joseph
Non-profit organisation Gift of the Givers has been granted permission to drill for water at Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg.
The organisation's intervention comes after a month-long water shortage.
The Gift of the Givers first provided bottled water but warned that it was not a sustainable solution.
The organisation also drilled for water at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, which faced the same issues.
Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman says the provincial government has been supportive.
"There has been nothing but total cooperation, support and flexibility from the Gauteng provincial Health Department, CEO's, management and infrastructure teams at both Rahima Moosa Hospital and Helen Joseph Hospital in granting Gift of the Givers permission to drill for boreholes at these two facilities,” says Sooliman.
“The situation demands an urgent response as this is an emergency that affects the normal functioning of the hospitals now seriously challenged by the Covid-19 third wave. Water is critical for every type of procedure, for hygiene and infection control, and an uninterrupted supply is non-negotiable.”
He says the drilling at Helen Joseph began on Friday morning.
"Gift of the Givers is pleased to announced that drilling at Helen Joseph Hospital commences at 8am on Friday, 11 June, at the first of eight possible sites mapped out by our geologist, Dr Gideon Groenewald. The drilling rig is on site.
“The presence of this incredible piece of machinery has created a new sense of hope, a morale boost, a sparkle in the eyes of health care workers and management at the two facilities as 23 days of inadequate supply is the last straw following two waves of Covid-19, load shedding and an additional patient load from the now closed Charlotte Maxeke Hospital.”
Sooliman says they have received a R700 000 donation from Implats to help carry the Rahima Moosa borehole costs.
“The progress at Rahima Moosa Hospital has been incredible. Gift of the Givers teams will be pumping borehole water into ten JoJo tanks and from there via booster pumps into the hospital water infrastructure tomorrow.
“This will provide an uninterrupted supply of 130 000 litres which is the total hospital requirement per day. We can ramp it up further without compromising the integrity of the underground aquifer.
“I visited Charlotte Maxeke Hospital today. This is another emergency that requires serious reflection.”
