Maintenance needs overrun budget for Gauteng state hospitals, SAHRC hears

Service providers are pulling out over non-payment

11 July 2022 - 14:21
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The Gauteng department of health is operating on a shortfall when it comes to maintenance of infrastructure. Stock image.
The Gauteng department of health is operating on a shortfall when it comes to maintenance of infrastructure. Stock image.
Image: 123RF/HXDBZXY

Delays in payment of service providers for the maintenance of health facilities in Gauteng have been acknowledged by a government official citing budget constraints.

Bawinile Malope, from the Gauteng department of infrastructure development, which is mandated with carrying out the maintenance at health facilities in the province, was giving a presentation on Monday at the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).

The commission is engaging with the departments of health, infrastructure development and treasury as part of its monitoring of the healthcare system. 

Malope said maintenance requirements in health facilities exceeds the budget and they were operating on a shortfall of R1.2bn to deal with infrastructure issues.

“In some hospitals, we have service providers who refuse to render their services because they have not been paid. Some payments are outstanding from as far back as September,” Malope told the commission.

She said most of their service providers rendered specialist services such as the maintenance of elevators and generators.

Referring to earlier this year when lifts were not working and could not be fixed, she said: “At some hospitals, we had our service provider completely pull out because of non-payment.”

Malope spoke about the strain load-shedding was adding on hospitals and clinics, saying only the Steve Biko and George Mukhari hospitals were exempt from Eskom's enforced power cuts.

“Since the end of May, generators at hospitals have been battling to keep up with the constant cuts. We've been seeing a lot of equipment failures,” she said.

The engagement continues.

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