A broken MRI scanner at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital (CMJH) is jeopardising the treatment of hundreds of patients as it is needed for a proper diagnosis.
The machine has been broken for weeks, but there has been no speedy action to fix it.
It is unbelievable that this major hospital has to cope with the failure of a vital machine that is needed to save the lives of emergency patients.
Cancer patients are also vulnerable as a delayed diagnosis decreases their chances of survival.
Gauteng hospitals are plagued by equipment failures, which are aggravated by the Gauteng Health Department’s freeze on buying new equipment as they will run out of budget in the next few weeks.
Hospital CEOs need more powers to purchase and ensure maintenance of equipment, instead of waiting a long time for the provincial department to respond.
The DA Gauteng is pushing for a total shakeup of top management at this notoriously corrupt and inefficient department, which needs capable and honest staff to provide a quality health service.