The government is working on exempting hospitals and other critical infrastructure from Eskom’s blackouts, President Cyril Ramaphosa has told the National Council of Provinces, with 77 hospitals already excluded from load shedding, and a further 46 identified by Eskom.
He said the primary focus was reducing the frequency through interventions co-ordinated by the National Energy Crisis Committee (NECOM).
“Work is under way to ensure critical facilities are excluded – where the network configuration allows for this and where it is feasible to do so, without increasing the risk of higher stages of load shedding,” said the President.
Other critical infrastructure includes commuter rail, bulk water systems and facilities essential to the production of energy, reports TimesLIVE.
“Many of our public health facilities, including hospitals and community health centres, have back-up power supply systems, which include generators. This will reduce disruptions to service provision.”
Ramaphosa said efforts were also ongoing to fight illegal electricity connections, vandalism and destruction of infrastructure in communities.
In response to allegations that ministers and their deputies were being shielded from blackouts, with the government spending more than R7m to buy generators and inverters for their official homes, he denied anyone was being prioritised over hospitals and other critical infrastructure.
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