The spokesperson of the National Department of Health, Foster Mohale, announced that Taung Hospital and the Ganyesa Hospital were part of the latest hospitals and clinics to be added to the list. It was previously understood that none of the health facilities in the North West were excluded from load-shedding. 

However, at the time, the provincial departmental spokesperson, Tebogo Lekgethwane, explained that all of their hospitals have backup generators to allow for a smooth run. At least 77 health facilities have now been excluded from load-shedding in the country.

ALSO READ: Load-shedding exemption made for 72 health facilities in South Africa

A total of 72 hospitals and clinics were previously excluded from load-shedding, with 14 being in the Free State, while there was only one in the Northern Cape. 

At the time, Mohale explained that more efforts are being made to implement exemption of these in provinces such as the Northern Cape and North West as a matter of urgency, in line with the commitment made to ensure that no province is left behind. He also said that the team is investigating possible load curtailment for bigger hospitals, as well as other alternative solutions for load-shedding at hospitals and clinics. “The preliminary network analysis conducted, revealed that 28 hospitals in various provinces can be excluded from load-shedding by building new infrastructure at the estimated cost of R100 million.”

Minister of Health, Joe Phaahla, has also said in a written reply, the National Department of Health has identified a list of hospitals and clinics that require an urgent exemption either from Eskom or local municipalities. “The department provided Eskom with a total of 212 priority hospitals across the country to be considered for possible exclusion from load-shedding on a phased approach,” reads the reply. While 67% of the hospitals on the priority list receive electricity from the municipalities, the remaining 33% is supplied directly by Eskom.

ALSO READ: Central SA health facilities equipped for load-shedding

In the Free State, the spokesperson for the Provincial Department of Health, Mondli Mvambi, said they are nevertheless coping with load-shedding albeit under difficult circumstances. “Many of our District Hospitals, Regional Hospitals and Community Health Centers (CHCs) have generators, including the Pelonomi and Universitas Hospitals. These hospitals have responded well so far to the challenges of load-shedding and we have not experienced any adverse events related to load-shedding.”

Whereas the Northern Cape Health Department's Head of Communications, Lulu Mxekezo, said that these facilities have standby generators. “The department has a contract in place with a service provider that is maintaining the standby generators. We are negotiating with different municipalities and Eskom to minimise or adjust to less busy time slots of load-shedding at the areas where [hospitals and clinics] are situated.”

OFM News