Minister of Health, Dr. Joe Phaahla held a media briefing on Friday in response to concerns arising around the impacts of load shedding.
In the briefing, the minister announced a number of initiatives that the department of health will assist the healthcare sector with such as load shedding blackouts, and exempting hospitals from load shedding.
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Phaahla highlighted that urban areas, like major metros, are being managed differently from rural areas.
He said that rural areas often rely on direct connections with Eskom, affecting the tactical methods of exempting certain hospitals.
But in big metros, entities such as City Power that sell electricity on behalf of the power utility have been approached more easily.
“Load-shedding is a risk to the efforts to deliver on our constitutional mandate of protecting, promoting and maintaining the health, safety and well-being of patients and the public by ensuring quality pharmaceutical service for all South Africans,” Phaahla said
The request for exemption from load shedding is mainly for public hospitals, as 85% to 90% of the public depend on public health services further added the minister.
Furthermore, Phaahla stated hospital equipment is at risk in ICUs and is one of the sensitive pieces of equipment that must be protected. Power interruptions, especially if someone is on a ventilator, could risk a patient’s life.
The hospitals exempted from load shedding:
- 36 hospitals are from Johannesburg, Kwazulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Free state, North Western, and Nothern Cape.
- Tygerberg Hospital ( Western Cape).
- Groote Schuurr Hospital (Western cape)
- Red Cross Hospital ( Western Cape)
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Picture: Cape Town Etc {Gallery}