By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Three people have been arrested for theft and vandalism at Charlotte Maxeke hospital.
Charlotte Maxeke Hospital CEO Gladys Bogoshi says while there was good security at the hospital, crime was out of control. She said the facility was a 13.5ha property with more than 2,000 people in it at any time, 1,068 beds, more than 750 equipment line items and more than 14,000 toilets — to give an idea of the scale of the hospital.
“We have security guards and cameras, but we cannot put cameras everywhere. What we spend on security is taken away from health, but the situation is you can put a new flush mechanism in a toilet today and tomorrow it is gone, “she said.
Her sentiments were backed by health minister Joe Phaahla, who said while he was generally pleased with the progress made, the crime and destruction happening at the hospital was “an indictment on society”.
“Have we come to a point where hospitals must look like army barracks? That is not desirable, nor is it affordable. We need to maintain a balance between protecting staff and patients while still functioning properly. We cannot lose the context of what a hospital is,” Phaahla said.
Meanwhile construction work at the emergency unit is expected to be completed in mid-April.
The unit has not been operational since a fire gutted the hospital in April 2021.
Phaahla said the work on the emergency unit would be completed by mid-April.
The re-opening of the unit will go a long way in helping alleviate pressure on hospitals in the province that had to take on patients that would normally go to Charlotte Maxeke.
The repair work is being done through the national health department, while the Development Bank of South Africa is the implementing partner.
The hospital’s renovation was expected to be completed in 2027 until the department stepped in.
Phaahla said at the current moment, there is deep cleaning of blocks 1 to 8, after installation HVAC [Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning], health technology equipment, electronic fire detection, evacuation system and wet fire installations.
He added the department had also applied for occupational health safety approvals and certificates from the City of Johannesburg.
Phaahla said Block 1 of the hospital was expected to be fully functional by March 2023, and blocks 4 and 5 by November 2023.