The Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital Photo: Facebook
Gauteng Health refutes claims Chris Hani Baragwanath has no food
Reports have surfaced that there is shortage of food at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital but Gauteng Health has refuted this.
The Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital Photo: Facebook
The Gauteng Health Department has disputed claims that the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital has run out of food.
On Thursday, reports surfaced that doctors and nurses were taking food to starving patients at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital after the hospital allegedly failed to pay suppliers.
GAUTENG HEALTH REFUTES CLAIMS CHRIS BARAGWANATH HAS NO FOOD
According to DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health Jack Bloom there has been no bread for the past two weeks at the hospital. He added that donors have also been asked to provide food for the hospital.
“A number of food contracts have expired so Requests for Quotations are used to fill the gap in a haphazard way that has lead to shortages of meat, chicken and fish despite paying higher prices.”
Gauteng Health spokesperson, Kwara Kekana said the reports are false.
“Gauteng Health would like to put it on record that Gauteng Hospitals have not run out of food contrary to inaccurate media reports that have been doing the rounds.
“Furthermore, all other types of food are being served at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. What we can confirm is that Chris Hani Baragwanath and a few other facilities did experience a short supply of bread in the recent past.”
Kwara Kekana
Kekana added that the organisation, Random Act of Kindness, that also reported that there there was no food supply at the hospital and has since met with the facility management to help clarify their situation.
“The problem of bread supply at the facility has since been resolved. Proper lines of communication have been established for better working relations moving forward,” she said.
TROUBLES AT BARA HOSPITAL
Bloom said another crisis is the build-up of medical waste at the hospital as Buhle Waste has suspended services because they have not been paid.
“It appears that the Gauteng Health Department has run out of money towards the end of its financial year on 31 March. Meanwhile, staff and patients at Gauteng’s public hospitals are suffering because of the non-payment of various suppliers,” Bloom said.
Last week, it was also reported that senior medical doctors at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital were raising funds to assist unpaid medical interns. The Gauteng Health Department which is responsible for the payment of salaries had not paid the ten interns a single cent this year.
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