Heating system failures have canceled operations at Charlotte Maxe Johannesburg Academic Hospital. According to Gauteng Ministry of Health spokesperson Motalatale Modiba, 15 surgeries have been canceled due to hypothermia in theaters at the facility.
He said 53 operations were scheduled to take place on July 10 but only 26 took place.
“Fifteen were canceled due to the low temperatures in the theaters and 12 were canceled for reasons not related to the low temperatures,” Modiba said.
However, DA Gauteng shadow health MEC Jack Bloom claimed that there are more than 100 referenceswhich were canceled at three major hospitals in Gauteng last week, including Charlotte Makseki.
Bloom said that he received the data from sources who contacted him to file complaints about these facilities.
He said that the cancellation was due to water cuts, floods, and failure of heating in the operating rooms.
“Many operations were canceled at Charlotte Maxi as temperatures in theaters were so low due to a heating system failure. The impact of these cancellations is devastating for patients who may have waited over a year in pain,” Bloom said.
Bloom said it was due to poor maintenance.
but Modiba said the temperature control issue has been a challenge for the facility for years but has gotten worse in the past two years.
“The situation was made worse by the theft of copper that occurred during the period when the facility was evacuated for several months after the fire incident. This affected the facility’s central heating system, which regulates the level of acceptable temperatures in the entire hospital, but mostly in theatres,” Modiba explained.
Remediation of the situation is under way, Modiba said, as of June 28 this year, the contractor has finished installing Schedule 40 pipes for Blocks 2, 3 and 4, which are less prone to theft.
“Installation in Building 5 has already started and work is progressing well ahead of schedule. Currently, with close monitoring, the water system is working, with close monitoring, in all three blocks with 40 pipes installed planned to check for any possible leaks as the system has not been working for the last two years,” Modiba said. the last two.
“The center would also like to assure the public that this matter is getting as urgent as it deserves, and canceled cases are being considered.”
He said he needed more time to gather information regarding cancellations of surgeries at other facilities.
mashalek@sowetan.co.za