E-maintenance leaves clinic in shambles

11 September 2015 - 02:53 By Penwell Dlamini

E-maintenance is a big flop. When the Gauteng portfolio committee visited a state clinic on the West Rand, it found broken equipment galore.The boom and motor gate at the entrance to the clinic remains broken, even though the damage was reported via the e-maintenance system in November last year.Though the clinic was squeaky clean, the glass panels of a door in the main passageway were broken. This, too, had been reported in November.The biggest shock for the committee team, led by chairman Lindiwe Lasindwa, was in the labour ward. The oxygen control panels used to aid mothers during labour and newborn babies are not working.There was, however, substantial progress in the fixing of door handles, tiles and taps.Acting facilities manager Jeaneth Kunene said the lack of functioning equipment meant the staff worked under duress.A new boiler in the kitchen has been installed but it has not been connected to the pipes.But the biggest problem, said Kunene, was the broken generator.In the maintenance report, seen by The Times, the staff at the clinic has made several calls to the department for the generator's urgent repair.Said Kunene: "They sent mechanics who fixed it and it broke down again. Then [the mechanics] told us that the generator has reached its lifespan limit. This is a problem."When babies are born, the incubator has to be kept warm and when we do not have power it is really bad. Not so long ago we experienced load-shedding. I was delivering a baby. It was 7pm and all of a sudden we were in the dark. Fortunately, we were able to deliver a healthy baby."Lasindwa said: "In this clinic they do not have a log-in channel. They still have to report their issues manually to somebody else, who must log the problem for them. Here at Mohlakeng, e-maintenance is not functioning at all. We feel that the people that are working with the system are not doing their work."..

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.