Clinic's sewage leaks into Okavango River
Residents of Utokota village in Kavango East are worried about waterborne diseases because a clinic's sewage is flowing into the river that is the region's lifeblood.
KENYA KAMBOWE
UTOKOTA
Overflowing sewage from the Catholic Church health centre at Utokota village in the Kavango East Region is draining into the Okavango River, raising fears of waterborne diseases.
The contamination threatens the health of thousands of people and their livestock that depend on the river. The head of the health centre, Paulus Kareyi, admits that the sewage system has been out of order for three years despite efforts to solve the problem.
The government subsidises the centre at Utokota and many other church clinics.
Community fears
When Namibian Sun visited the community of Utokota, they expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in which the church has handled the situation.
A community member said the contamination has been going on for years and they are afraid of waterborne diseases.
“We go to the river to fetch water for consumption and for many reasons, but now we are living in fear,” the source said. “How can the church be comfortable with such a thing? People go to church to pray to be healed, yet the church is running a facility that could make people sick.
“We want the Catholic Church together with the government to rectify the matter as soon as possible.”
At the time of the interview, children were fishing while livestock were grazing and drinking water near the place where the sewage flows into the river.
Church responds
In a telephonic interview, Kareyi, who has been working at the health centre for 15 years, said the pump that used to pump sewage into a nearby pond broke three years ago.
“When we took it for repairs, we were told that it cannot be fixed because it is an old model,” he said.
Kareyi said they then bought another pump, but it did not last long.
That forced them to install a tank to collect the sewage, but that is now out of order too.
The weekly emptying of the tank was done either by a private contractor or by the church itself.
Kareyi said they tried to buy another suitable pump, but none was available in Namibia or South Africa.
He claimed that it would cost the church about N$100 000 to secure a capable pump, but they could not afford it with the limited funds at their disposal.
Kareyi said the only permanent solution would be to relocate the clinic from the banks of the river.
UTOKOTA
Overflowing sewage from the Catholic Church health centre at Utokota village in the Kavango East Region is draining into the Okavango River, raising fears of waterborne diseases.
The contamination threatens the health of thousands of people and their livestock that depend on the river. The head of the health centre, Paulus Kareyi, admits that the sewage system has been out of order for three years despite efforts to solve the problem.
The government subsidises the centre at Utokota and many other church clinics.
Community fears
When Namibian Sun visited the community of Utokota, they expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in which the church has handled the situation.
A community member said the contamination has been going on for years and they are afraid of waterborne diseases.
“We go to the river to fetch water for consumption and for many reasons, but now we are living in fear,” the source said. “How can the church be comfortable with such a thing? People go to church to pray to be healed, yet the church is running a facility that could make people sick.
“We want the Catholic Church together with the government to rectify the matter as soon as possible.”
At the time of the interview, children were fishing while livestock were grazing and drinking water near the place where the sewage flows into the river.
Church responds
In a telephonic interview, Kareyi, who has been working at the health centre for 15 years, said the pump that used to pump sewage into a nearby pond broke three years ago.
“When we took it for repairs, we were told that it cannot be fixed because it is an old model,” he said.
Kareyi said they then bought another pump, but it did not last long.
That forced them to install a tank to collect the sewage, but that is now out of order too.
The weekly emptying of the tank was done either by a private contractor or by the church itself.
Kareyi said they tried to buy another suitable pump, but none was available in Namibia or South Africa.
He claimed that it would cost the church about N$100 000 to secure a capable pump, but they could not afford it with the limited funds at their disposal.
Kareyi said the only permanent solution would be to relocate the clinic from the banks of the river.
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