Patients at nine hospitals in Gauteng have been without hot water for six weeks, thanks to leaking and broken boilers, compressors and tanks, according to the DA, which said the problem has been ongoing since 1 May.
In a statement on the Politicsweb site, DA shadow MEC for health Jack Bloom said the issue had been confirmed by Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko in a written reply to his questions in the Gauteng legislature.
The hospitals in question are Bertha Gxowa, Cullinan Care and Rehab, Sterkfontein, Edenvale, Lenasia, Kalafong, Weskoppies, Jubilee, and Tshwane Rehabilitation Care Hospital.
According to Gauteng Health, critical equipment “like boilers, chillers, heat pump, air conditioners etc. are old and were not serviced appropriately for a long time, and …due to their heavy usage in winter, they experience a lot of breakdowns”.
Bloom said he suspected the problem was being underplayed, and that it was inexcusable that sick people have to wash in cold water in winter.
“The department says R100m is set aside to recapitalise hospital equipment. This is a long overdue investment, but needs to be spent properly, unlike failed projects in the past,” he wrote.
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