Cable thieves plunge Mdantsane hospital into crisis mode

The theft of electricity cables at the Cecilia Makiwane Hospital in Mdantsane, Buffalo City, has plunged the facility into crisis mode. 

Eastern Cape Department of Health spokesperson MK Ndamase said cables at the hospital were stolen and vandalised on Tuesday and the hospital had to operate with emergency electricity. 

This is the third hospital targeted by cable thieves since late December, with the other two being in Gauteng. 

“The Eastern Cape Department of Health worked around the clock to restore power. The cables that supply power to the hospital were badly vandalised, with other cables stolen. The generators on site are functional… the missing cables meant that the electricity generated by the generators could not be conducted to the various parts of the hospital,” Ndamase said.  

He said preliminary reports showed that the thieves had dug a hole underneath a fence to gain entry to the facility. 

“Mobile generators had to be deployed to the facility to operate critical areas like the adult and paediatric ICUs and the kitchen so patients could have warm food.” 

He said contractors had worked through the night and electricity was restored on Thursday afternoon.  

The theft and damage, however, resulted in pregnant women being diverted to Frere Hospital for C-sections.