Johannesburg – While Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital still has its problems, the hospital’s CEO says progress is being made to turn the situation around.
Speaking to the media on Monday following an unannounced visit by the MEC for Infrastructure Development, Nandi Mayathula-Khoza, Bara CEO Dr Sandile Mfenyana said support from the Gauteng Departments of Infrastructure Development and Health was going a long way to help the largest hospital in the country to do things better.
Some of the challenges, Mfenyana said, include dilapidated facilities as the building is old, space as well as burden of diseases.
“To house patients here is a big challenge. The burden of diseases has put pressure on us. We are grappling with the challenges of space and burden of diseases. The numbers that come through, specifically the maternity section and internal medicine sites, are the most critical areas… it’s our weakest link.
“But with the support we get from of the Department of Infrastructure Development, we have a number of interventions that are being made. We are continuously refurbishing the existing facilities, both with support from Infrastructure Development largely, and modest donations from the private sector,” Mfenyana said.
He said the electronic maintenance system launched in the hospital is already paying dividends. The hospital is now working on a system whereby the public can report maintenance issues, so that they can be attended to speedily by a team of experts.
“It’s a high mountain to climb but we’ve got maximum support to soldier on assist us,” he said.
Asked if the newly opened Zola-Jabulani Hospital has lifted the burden for Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Mfenyana described it as a blessing.
However, he noted that the hospital can only do so much with 300 beds. Bara, on the other hand, has 2 888 beds. Mfenyana said they were already sending between 10 and 20 patients a day to the Zola-Jabulani Hospital.
Improving Bara infrastructure
MEC Mayathula-Khoza’s visits focused on maintenance problems related to electro-mechanical equipment including boilers, generators, lifts and other critical areas.
She said after identifying the problems, the department would map out ways to deal with them.
“Mine is to monitor and ensure that the solution that has been identified is carried out. We heard that out of 23 generators that they have, two of them are not working. There’s a commitment to replace them and they are in the process of procuring them.”
The MEC, however, raised concern at the state of the maternity ward. She was displeased with the condition of the ablution facilities.
“There must be a plan to address that situation,” she told the hospital CEO.
“I’ve requested the HOD to work on a system that will allow me to see these challenges from my office, and be able to check on what progress has been made. The HOD will work on an audit of all the things that are not working in the hospital, and I will be monitoring how the department is addressing them.
“Of the 24 chillers, three are critical and are going to be replaced by September. Mine is to come back or check the dashboard in October and see if those chillers have been replaced and other challenges identified,” said MEC Mayathula-Khoza.
Some of the patients who interacted with the MEC told her that they were happy to see the upgrades and construction taking place in the hospital.
“The hospital looks much better than before,” one patient said.
After Chris Hani Baragwanath, the MEC visited Zola-Jabulani Hospital. – SAnews.gov.za
