Two operating theatres were affected when a copper pipe was stolen at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto on Wednesday, the second incident this week.
Copper pipes from a plant room supplying two general surgery theatres with high pressured water were cut and stolen leaving the theatre’s cooling system compromised.
In a statement, Gauteng health MEC spokesperson Tshepo Shawa said “nurses in theatre 15 and 16 noticed water suddenly sipping from the autoclave system (equipment sterilisation machine in theatres) into the theatres at 10am.”
Upon investigation, an engineer from the department of infrastructure development discovered that copper pipes from a plant room were tampered with.
Victor Moreriane, of the Gauteng department of infrastructure development (DID), said three metres of copper pipe were stolen.
“The stolen copper pipe provides the hospital with sterilisation steam used by the hospital for operations. Two operating theatres were affected and the hospital urgently made alternative arrangements. A technical team was deployed replace the pipe this afternoon,” Moreriane said.
The latest incident comes after 10-metres of copper cable from an access controlled plant room, housing pipes that supplies oxygen to sections of the intensive care unit (ICU), were stolen on Monday morning — leaving the hospital scrambling to shift 24 patients from the ICU after oxygen levels dropped drastically.
The latest incident of theft occurred within a walk-in room without access control.
It is understood that the hospital has at least 150 plant rooms, many of which do not have access control.
Moreriane said DID had undertaken an audit on Wednesday to ascertain how many sites had access control.
“It is clear that this hospital is being targeted by certain criminal elements. Security remains a concern for us as a department who is tasked with the maintenance of these sites. We need to ensure that all of these plant rooms are secure and have access control.”
Moreriane said the DID was awaiting feedback regarding who had accessed the plant room on Monday.
“We are waiting on the department of health to get information from the security company contracted to monitor the access control system.”
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Copper thieves strike again at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital
Image: File/ Mduduzi Ndzingi
Two operating theatres were affected when a copper pipe was stolen at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto on Wednesday, the second incident this week.
Copper pipes from a plant room supplying two general surgery theatres with high pressured water were cut and stolen leaving the theatre’s cooling system compromised.
In a statement, Gauteng health MEC spokesperson Tshepo Shawa said “nurses in theatre 15 and 16 noticed water suddenly sipping from the autoclave system (equipment sterilisation machine in theatres) into the theatres at 10am.”
Upon investigation, an engineer from the department of infrastructure development discovered that copper pipes from a plant room were tampered with.
Victor Moreriane, of the Gauteng department of infrastructure development (DID), said three metres of copper pipe were stolen.
“The stolen copper pipe provides the hospital with sterilisation steam used by the hospital for operations. Two operating theatres were affected and the hospital urgently made alternative arrangements. A technical team was deployed replace the pipe this afternoon,” Moreriane said.
The latest incident comes after 10-metres of copper cable from an access controlled plant room, housing pipes that supplies oxygen to sections of the intensive care unit (ICU), were stolen on Monday morning — leaving the hospital scrambling to shift 24 patients from the ICU after oxygen levels dropped drastically.
The latest incident of theft occurred within a walk-in room without access control.
It is understood that the hospital has at least 150 plant rooms, many of which do not have access control.
Moreriane said DID had undertaken an audit on Wednesday to ascertain how many sites had access control.
“It is clear that this hospital is being targeted by certain criminal elements. Security remains a concern for us as a department who is tasked with the maintenance of these sites. We need to ensure that all of these plant rooms are secure and have access control.”
Moreriane said the DID was awaiting feedback regarding who had accessed the plant room on Monday.
“We are waiting on the department of health to get information from the security company contracted to monitor the access control system.”
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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