water water everywhere

a peaceful morning at canzibe dam. the water disturbed only by a duck. things are less peaceful at the hospital. the water supply has not been operating for the last two weeks. certain parties are getting annoyed, certain physiotherapists included, with taking sponge baths from buckets. certain other parties are a bit peeved so to speak about the lack of water to scrub in and sterilise with. the patients, who must have thought that the hospital toilets were pretty below par when the water worked, long for those days once more. something must be done. an elite crew is assembled. an expert who knows the entire dam and pump house blueprints arrives promptly from bisho and the problem is brilliantly diagnosed after a few minutes. efficiency is the name of the game... in switzerland.

meanwhile, back in the real world, the entire workshop staff, the medical superintendent, the pharmacist and one skiving physiotherapist descend on the dam in two hospital vehicles of dubious road worthiness. number of people present who know the layout of the dam and pump house: zero.

on arrival many theories are put forward. it has pretty much been decided that the pipe in the dam is at fault. there are two pipes coming out of the pump house. one of them is the backup. ok then, we can just switch to the back... oh, it doesn't work and hasnt worked for a while, ok. well then, where do the pipes that are in the dam lie? anyone? no? ok. good thing you came along. no i dont think cutting that pipe there above the valve is a good idea. do the words giant gravity powered siphon mean anything to you? they should.

its around about know that a pharmacist comes in useful since in their job descriptions can be found the requirement to be a competent diver. send your pharmacist off for an early morning dive. for about four hours or so. visibility? say 30 cm if you're lucky.

but hey, anything to get in the papers, at least three times

original article http://www.dispatch.co.za/article.aspx?id=315640

i cant find the letter written by Dieter, one of the doctors boyfriends, but it summed up the whole situation very well. here tho is the response: http://www.dispatch.co.za/article.aspx?id=316971

all and all it shouldn't need the medical superintendent and the pharmacist to get the water fixed. but it did 

i leave you with rob gracefully entering the dam. where are those darn pipes anyway?