Patients said there was no water at the Central State Hospital on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, while the Katutura State Hospital's casualty department was also reported to be affected on Saturday.

"AIDS patients and others are forced to use toilets that can't be flushed," said one disgruntled patient who phoned The Namibian on Sunday night.

"The toilets are clogged and it's a danger to our health," she said.

Others expressed similar concerns.

Permanent Secretary of Health, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, yesterday acknowledged that there had been a problem at the Windhoek State Hospital on Sunday, but said the Ministry of Works had attended to the problem promptly.

"As far as I know, there wasn't much disturbance," Shangula told The Namibian.

According to Shangula, the hospital had used water tanks.

According to residents of Windhoek North, where the Central State Hospital is situated, houses in the area were also affected by burst water pipes.

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