Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH) faces severe food shortages impacting patients’ health and well-being.
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The root of the problem appears to lie in maladministration at the Gauteng Health Department and the failure to pay suppliers on time. A breakdown in certain food supplies is forcing doctors and nurses to scramble to plan how to feed patients. The root of the problem appears to lie in maladministration at the Gauteng Health Department and the failure to pay suppliers on time. CHBAH is borrowing food items from South Rand Hospital in Rosettenville and Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital, also in Soweto.
The same problems are being experienced with drugs and dry stores. The Chief Financial Officer at the GDoH central office is not signing off on supplier payments, leading to the closure of beds and cancellations of elective surgery. There are also major acute infrastructure issues in critical areas not being attended to, leading to the closure of beds and cancellations of elective surgery.
Doctors at Charlotte Maxeke and Helen Joseph hospitals are not aware of the problems, and there is a possibility of medical waste removal stopping due to non-payment. Health workers and patients are facing indignity due to a lack of access to water and sanitation, and there are no she-bins in bathrooms for staff to discard their sanitary pads.
These reports should embarrass Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, who, on assuming office in October 2022, gave a speech in which he said he was serious about health. The Gauteng Department of Health has appointed a MEC with skills in financial management (but not in health) to ensure that service providers are paid within 30 days.
Motalatale Modiba, the spokesperson for the Gauteng Department of Health, said that there had not been a shortage of essential food in the past two weeks due to an intention by the supplier to withhold the supply of protein food items due to payments beyond Christ Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital that needed to be cleared. The supplier has been engaged and has committed to continue delivering as per their contractual obligation.
