By: sthulile Mdletshe
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane has welcomed the rollout of a new water purification project at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in Umlazi, south of Durban, calling it a crucial step in addressing ongoing water shortages affecting the facility and surrounding communities.
The project involves the installation of large-capacity water storage tanks, which will hold purified water sufficient to sustain the hospital for up to five days in the event of water supply disruptions.
Speaking during a site visit, Simelane said the initiative would ease the burden placed on both the hospital and the eThekwini Municipality, which continues to struggle with water supply instability in various parts of the city.
“This is a critical intervention. It ensures that our healthcare services remain operational and that patients do not suffer due to service delivery failures beyond the hospital’s control,” said Simelane.
The purification system is designed to improve the hospital’s water independence during municipal outages and has been welcomed by staff and local health advocates who say erratic water supply has previously hampered operations, including surgeries and sanitation services.
Simelane added that the project forms part of government’s broader infrastructure and resilience strategy to safeguard essential health services amid climate, infrastructure, and governance-related challenges.
Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital is one of the busiest public healthcare facilities in KwaZulu-Natal, serving Umlazi and surrounding townships. In recent months, parts of eThekwini have experienced intermittent water supply due to ageing infrastructure, load-shedding impacts on pump stations, and delayed maintenance.
