Aged residents at Ekhanana Outdated Age Residence in Durban’s Umlazi township are going through a rising well being and security disaster after the power was left with out electrical energy and continues to battle extreme shortages of remedy, medical help and transport.
The non-profit facility has reportedly been with out electrical energy since 3 January 2026 after eThekwini Municipality disconnected the facility provide attributable to an excellent municipal debt of about R2.7 million.
Facility supervisor Jabulani Kunene says the disconnection occurred regardless of his makes an attempt to interact the municipality and negotiate a “lifelike fee association for a facility that depends on restricted monetary assets whereas caring for weak aged residents”.
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On account of the facility outage, the house has allegedly been pressured to depend on unlawful electrical energy connections from neighbouring properties for minimal lighting. Kunene says the poor lighting circumstances have already created security dangers.
“Aged residents are falling at evening whereas attempting to entry bogs and corridors. Their security and dignity are being compromised,” he tells Well being-e Information.
Medicine and healthcare shortages
Past the electrical energy disaster, the power can be grappling with severe healthcare challenges. Residents reportedly obtain solely power remedy from the closest public hospital. The house reportedly doesn’t have entry to fundamental remedy for widespread illnesses equivalent to complications, flu, ache, or minor diseases. When residents fall sick, employees members are allegedly pressured to purchase remedy utilizing their very own funds. Employees say these shortages have persevered for greater than seven months.
The scenario is additional worsened by a essential scarcity of medical personnel. The previous age house reportedly doesn’t have a visiting physician and doesn’t obtain common visits from knowledgeable nurse. As a substitute, one employees nurse is liable for round 68 aged residents and day guests, a lot of whom want ongoing medical care.
Residents who grow to be significantly sick are transported to public hospitals about 30 kilometres away, the place the care is seemingly higher than on the close by Prince Mshiyeni hospital. Employees say when residents return from the hospital with bedsores or different issues, the power struggles to handle their care attributable to restricted employees, lack of medical oversight and insufficient assets.
Transport challenges worsen disaster
Transport stays one other main concern. The power doesn’t have its personal car to move residents to hospitals or clinics. Kunene says that repeated requests to the Division of Well being for transport help have fallen on deaf ears.
In emergencies and for scheduled medical visits, employees are reportedly pressured to depend on Uber companies or non-public transport.
The KwaZulu-Natal Division of Well being mentioned old-age properties are the duty of the Division of Social Improvement.
“The challenges going through the power seem to stem from inside administration points. We want to make clear that old-age properties fall below the duty of the Division of Social Improvement. The Division of Well being solely offers funding and monitoring of psychological well being NGO amenities,” says the division’s Nathi Olifant.
“The KwaZulu-Natal Division of Well being doesn’t run or handle these amenities. Key features such because the issuing of NPO licences relaxation with the Division of Social Improvement.”
The Division of Social Improvement didn’t reply to our media queries.
Municipality defends electrical energy disconnection
In response to media inquiries, eThekwini Municipality defended the choice to disconnect the electrical energy provide, citing its credit score management insurance policies.
In a press assertion issued on 3 February 2026, the municipality’s Advertising and Communications Director, Mandla Nsele, mentioned the town doesn’t talk about particular person buyer account particulars with third events.
“Nonetheless, we want to emphasise that each one clients, together with authorities departments, are anticipated to settle their accounts,” says Nsele.
He added that the place arrears exist, service disconnections are applied in keeping with the municipality’s Credit score Management and Debt Assortment Coverage.
“These measures are commonplace apply and are utilized constantly to make sure monetary sustainability and the continued provision of municipal companies,” he says. – Well being-e Information
