Bara hospital spent R3.4m on diesel for emergency generators during this year's load-shedding

20 July 2022 - 12:43
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Generators at Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital only provide power for emergency operations so elective surgery has to be cancelled. File photo.
Generators at Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital only provide power for emergency operations so elective surgery has to be cancelled. File photo.
Image: Mduduzi Ndzingi

The Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital has this year spent R3.4m on diesel for its emergency generators.

This was revealed by provincial health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi in a written response to questions by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng shadow health MEC, in the Gauteng legislature.

According to Bloom, last year the hospital spent R2.63m on diesel for its 20 generators, and the previous year it spent R321,000.

Mokgethi responded there was one generator failure because its batteries failed.

Bloom said the high costs of feeding the generators strengthens the case for all public hospitals to be exempt from Eskom load-shedding.

“It’s a pity the hospital has to spend so much money on diesel to keep essential functions going when power is cut.

“The generators only provide power for emergency operations so elective surgery has to be cancelled with devastating effects for patients on long waiting lists.”

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