About 870 surgical operations have been cancelled this year at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, the third-largest hospital in the world.
This was confirmed by the MEC of Health in Gauteng Nomathemba Mokgethi who listed the overbooking of patients, maintenance challenges, and a shortage of clean linen as the primary cause of the cancellation of operations.
The MEC was addressing the Hybrid House Sitting of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature in Johannesburg, where the province’s Department of Health, along with other departments were presenting their committee oversight reports on the fourth quarterly reports for the 2021/2022 financial year for the Gauteng Provincial Government.
Mokgethi made these revelations while giving her department’s response to questions from opposition political parties.
She further revealed that the linen shortages are as a result of the laundry machines frequently breaking down, but assured that plans are in the works to procure new ones.
“We have been having breakages of boilers, hence we have planned to procure at least one boiler as we cannot buy all four because the cost of one is close to R20 million.”
In a statement to the media, the Gauteng Department of Health confirmed that they have purchased disposable linen in the interim to offset the shortage.
Other Gauteng Provincial departments which were presenting at this sitting of the legislature include Economic Development, Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development, Infrastructure Development; Roads and Transport, Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Community Safety, COGTA and Human Settlements, Social Development, Office of the Premier as well as the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.
MEDIA STATEMENT || TO MINIMISE POSTPONEMENT OF MEDICAL PROCEDURES AT CHRIS HANI BARAGWANATH HOSPITAL IN PLACE pic.twitter.com/5aeQyrVRfm
— Gauteng Health (@GautengHealth) June 21, 2022
