Leaks in Beira Central Hospital operating theatre: Blocked gutters blamed- Carta

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Leaks in Beira Central Hospital operating theatre: Blocked gutters blamed- Carta

3:53 CAT | 16 Nov 2020

Screen grab: Social Media

Exactly a year after it was reopened following Cyclone Idai, the operating theatre at Beira Central Hospital presents a sorry picture. When it rains, water pours in through a highly porous ceiling.

But the ceiling, along with the wiring and the floor, was precisely one of the targets of a recent intervention.

Post-Idai rehabilitation was in the charge of Health4Moz, a Portuguese non-governmental organisation headed by Carla Rêgo, which directly awarded the works to the Portuguese TCO Group company, Constrol.

Work started in May 2019 with the reconstruction of the surgical block and imaging and blood service facilities, according to a plan defined with the HCB administration.

A year later, the operating theatre is in a disastrous condition. An amateur video showing water gushing from the ceiling during heavy rain went viral on social media.

‘Carta’ went looking for explanations. Carla Rêgo, who runs Health4Moz, lives and works in Portugal. She declined to elaborate to ‘Carta’ on ethical grounds, but agreed to share a report on the matter, only to renege later; the report would go only to the Mozambican deputy minister of health. She sent us to Constrol.

A source from the company, who declined to be identified, told ‘Carta’ that the recent leak in the operating theatre was the result of blocked gutters, because they were not being cleared. Constrol was conducting a survey, but was not clear whether there would be an intervention on the premises, in addition to blaming the HCB maintenance department.

The funds spent by Health4Moz on the HCB project were channelled through an entity called “United by Beira”.

Constrol is a heavy equipment rental company, but is also licensed for the construction of roads, bridges and other types of civil engineering projects. Health4MOZ is a non-profit association under Portuguese law, created in May 2013 with the status of Non-Governmental Organisation for Development (ONGD).

Source: Carta de Moçambique