Patients at a number of Gauteng hospitals are at high risk if equipment fails. This after reports that department of infrastructure development maintenance teams were denied access to facilities due to ongoing wage protests.
The teams are responsible for maintaining critical hospital operations benefiting patients and healthcare workers. They include boilers which supply steam for operations, autoclave machines which are used to sterilise equipment and central cooling systems which are used to control temperatures in theatres and the entire hospital environment.
Gauteng human settlements and infrastructure development MEC Lebogang Maile warned on Thursday that the risk for patients was extremely high should these machines malfunction.
“We urge the leadership of the labour movement to engage their protesting members to grant our teams access to their workstations with immediate effect.”
He said the Charlotte Maxeke, Helen Joseph, Leratong, Dr Yusuf Dadoo, Thelle Mogoerane, Sebokeng, Kopanong, Heidelberg, Johan Heyns, Carletonville and Bheki Mlangeni hospitals, as well as Discoverers Community Health Centre, were affected.
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Patients at high risk after maintenance teams denied access to Gauteng hospitals, says MEC
Image: Thapelo Morebudi
Patients at a number of Gauteng hospitals are at high risk if equipment fails. This after reports that department of infrastructure development maintenance teams were denied access to facilities due to ongoing wage protests.
The teams are responsible for maintaining critical hospital operations benefiting patients and healthcare workers. They include boilers which supply steam for operations, autoclave machines which are used to sterilise equipment and central cooling systems which are used to control temperatures in theatres and the entire hospital environment.
Gauteng human settlements and infrastructure development MEC Lebogang Maile warned on Thursday that the risk for patients was extremely high should these machines malfunction.
“We urge the leadership of the labour movement to engage their protesting members to grant our teams access to their workstations with immediate effect.”
He said the Charlotte Maxeke, Helen Joseph, Leratong, Dr Yusuf Dadoo, Thelle Mogoerane, Sebokeng, Kopanong, Heidelberg, Johan Heyns, Carletonville and Bheki Mlangeni hospitals, as well as Discoverers Community Health Centre, were affected.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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