Despite operating theatres at Pietermaritzburg’s Grey’s Hospital having battled with malfunctioning air-conditioners for years, the KZN Department of Health has never declared the repair projects as emergencies, the provincial Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) has told IOL News.
Changes to the “decanting strategy” to repair the aircon units have now increased the overall project budget because of the inclusion of “additional work beyond the mechanical scope due to work done by other consultants”, according to the DPWI, which says the extra challenges will slow the process of restoring the hospital’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
Updating the KZN Portfolio Committee on Health on Friday on maintenance of both Grey’s and Northdale Hospital, the DPWI said because the Health Department had not formally declared the HVAC project an emergency, this limited the ability to implement a fast-tracking programme.
Additionally, significant risks were associated with implementation, “given that this is a tertiary hospital performing critical functions that cannot be disrupted during construction”.
Another key was “the potential lack of budget within the Health Department to sustain critical maintenance of the theatres”.
The DPWI made it clear it was not directly involved in the DoH’s day-to-day maintenance of HVAC.
“As a result, DPWI is not always timeously informed of maintenance failures and may only become aware of such issues through media reports. The air conditioning units have reached their lifespan because they have been in use for 40 years and need an overhaul,” its report stated.
It said the solution to fast-tracking the repairs would be the approval of the decanting plan by the Department of Health because it is on the critical path for project implementation.
The Health Department, pointed out the DPWI, must ensure that sufficient budget is allocated for the ongoing crucial maintenance of theatres to sustain operations until the upgrade of all theatres is completed.
DPWI HoD Dr Vish Govender said they were working on a revised decanting plan, and if everything went to plan, the tender could be advertised in September 2026.
PMB’s Northdale Hospital is also overhauling its HVAC system, with the process of awarding consultants under way, he added. The site handover is anticipated for April 2027.
IFP MPL Ncamisile Nkwanyana said it was concerning that theatres were trying to function without air conditioning, and that it was critical they find a way to fast-track these issues.
Govender said risk analysis had been introduced to accelerate projects.
“We are not going with the cheapest contract price. We are going with those we’ve evaluated … from financial strength to capacity and everything else, not only price. We have a new way of doing business.”
The Health Department argued that although some Grey’s theatres had – from time to time – experienced technical glitches, this was “a normal occurrence in such environments”, and that a dedicated service provider “has always been on standby to resolve issues promptly”.
“At no point over the past five years have the theatres been shut down,” it said.
“The recent challenge was specifically related to ageing chillers, which have reached the end of their serviceable lifespan. The contracted service provider was on site and serviced the chillers. All nine theatres are fully operational and in good working order,” the department added.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Surgical crisis at Grey’s Hospital as aircon upgrade drags on
Surgeries cancelled as Grey’s Hospital struggles without air-conditioning