The infrastructure, which includes operating theatres that have been non-functional for a while, has been restored to its former glory. 

The departmental spokesperson, Mondli Mvambi, says air conditioners in three of the five theatres have been repaired. Two other air conditioners have been ordered. 

Another air conditioner has been installed in the maternity theatre and the leaking steam pipes have also been repaired also, including the autoclave. 

It is understood that the kitchen has also been an issue, however, the issues have been fixed. “In the kitchen of the hospital, roof leaks were repaired, the drainage system was unblocked, five cold rooms were repaired, the geyser installation was completed, and tiles were installed.

ALSO READ: Backlog of surgeries at Free State hospital in spotlight 

One of the issues that brought the hospital to a standstill, was the water pipe burst which had left patients without running water. 

At the time of the pipe burst, the department had a temporary solution to provide patients with water. The department had to deal with two different pipe bursts within the space of at least five days. 

In the latest, the water challenges have been resolved as the department has installed new water pipes and re-routed them. The issues of a non-functional generator have also been sorted, as the generator has been repaired. 

Mvambi explained that the department has made progress with the concerns tabled by union representatives during engagements with the management. He further explained that the department remains surprised by the aggressive posture of some of the unions who resorted to an illegal strike last week on Thursday. 

The department’s senior management has since gone to the hospital to make interventions and stop the strike to ensure the patients were not negatively affected. Mvambi can confirm that the situation was calm over the weekend as health professionals continued with their work and there were no disruptions in patient care.  

ALSO READ: Health facilities in need of urgent infrastructure upgrading in spotlight

It was previously reported that there are 41 state health facilities in the province in need of urgent infrastructure upgrading. The 41 health facilities in question, which includes 29 hospitals and 12 primary healthcare facilities, were revealed by the Minister of Health, Joe Phaahla, in his response to the Member of the National Assembly, Magdalena Duduzile Hlengwa. 

She had asked for the number of state hospitals and clinics which requires infrastructure upgrading and maintenance of existing infrastructure. The minister’s answer is based on the information sourced from the User Asset Management Plan (U-AMP), which reflects the condition of the health facilities in the country. 

“This followed the development of the Infrastructure Programme Implementation Plan (IPMP), which is a three-year costed plan that indicates how these facilities will be attended to, to bring them back to an acceptable standard,” read the reply.

OFM News