Staff and patients at Helen Joseph Hospital have endured terrible conditions without adequate water since Thursday last week, but R550 million earmarked for infrastructure was unspent in the 2022/23 financial year which ended on 31 March this year.
The acting hospital CEO, Dr Rodney Pheto, has stated that the low water pressure is because of internal factors, which highlights the lack of maintenance and repair.
According to the Department, the low spending on infrastructure was “due to slow construction, progress of projects and contractors abandoning sites.”
This is in stark contrast to the R60 million dispensary that Gift of the Givers built in record time at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital. This could never have been achieved by the Gauteng Infrastructure Development Department which is plagued by inefficiency and corruption
Meanwhile, toilets stink and services are disrupted by the lack of water at Helen Joseph Hospital. It is unthinkable that a hospital can run out of water that is essential for hygiene to prevent infections.
The DA calls for innovative private/public partnerships to help resolve the infrastructure crisis in our hospitals.