National Department of Health, load shedding, loadshedding, power cuts, rolling blackouts, load shedding exemptions, healthcare facilities, hospitals, South Africa, Northern Cape, North West, Foster Mohale, Eskom

The number of hospitals exempt from load shedding has increased from 36 to 72. Photo: Stock Image / Pixabay

More hospitals may soon be exempt from load shedding

The National Department of Health revealed that 72 hospitals are now exempt from load shedding with more to come.

National Department of Health, load shedding, loadshedding, power cuts, rolling blackouts, load shedding exemptions, healthcare facilities, hospitals, South Africa, Northern Cape, North West, Foster Mohale, Eskom

The number of hospitals exempt from load shedding has increased from 36 to 72. Photo: Stock Image / Pixabay

The National Department of Health says it’s looking to get more hospitals exempt from load shedding.

The focus is on the Northern Cape and North West

There are currently 72 healthcare facilities across the country that are exempted from load shedding. The Department wants the focus to be on the Northern Cape and North West.

Only one hospital in the Northern Cape will not face power cuts. In terms of healthcare facilities in the North West, there are none exempt from load shedding.

ALSO READ: City Power exempts these Joburg hospitals from load shedding

Spokesperson for the Department Foster Mohale says that the number of hospitals excluded increased from 37 to 72. He added that the exemption for health facilities in the aforementioned provinces is a matter of urgency.

“While more efforts are being made to implement exemption of health facilities in provinces such the Northern Cape and North West as a matter of urgency in line with the commitment made to ensure that no province is left behind,”

said Mohale.

ALSO READ: Health facilities want load shedding exemption: Medical Association

Eskom was given 212 priority hospitals across SA for exclusion from power cuts

Mohale said the Department provided the power utility with 212 priority hospitals across SA for exclusion from power cuts.

He explained that 28 hospitals in a number of provinces can be excluded by building new infrastructure. This would cost R100 million.

ALSO READ: These hospitals are exempted from load shedding – more await Eskom’s response

The updated list of exempted facilities is as follows:

  • Eastern Cape – 7;
  • Free State – 14;
  • Gauteng – 17;
  • KwaZulu-Natal – 15;
  • Limpopo – 10;
  • Mpumalanga – 4;
  • Western Cape – 4;
  • Northern Cape – 1 and;
  • North West – 0.
The Department of Health is aiming to get more hospitals in the Northern Cape and North West exempt from load shedding. Photo: Stock Image / Pixabay

FREE electricity and NO load shedding for South Africa’s ministers – report

Meanwhile, it was previously reported that South Africa’s ministers and deputy ministers – who draw a salary of between R2 million and R2.5 million a year – do not have to pay for water and electricity thanks to changes to the ministerial handbook earlier this year.

The rest of the country is experiencing the worst load shedding but the same ministers enjoy uninterrupted power in their private residences in Pretoria.

City Press pointed to changes made to the ministerial handbook in May 2022. Read the full story here.