Continued closure of Charlotte Maxeke 'slow version of Life Esidimeni'
Civil society organisation Defend Our Democracy has called on government to show more urgency in reopening the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Johannesburg.
About 40 people including Wits University Professor Shabir Madhi, Professor Rudo Mathivha, and Section 27 picketed outside the hospital on Sunday morning.
The civil society movement wants the Gauteng Health Department to speed up repairs to the fire-damaged hospital.
The fire damaged several sections in April 2021, and the government this week said the facility will only be fully functional again at the end of 2023.
Defend Our Democracy's Neeshan Balton said the closure has had an impact on neighbouring hospitals.
“Few of the speakers said this could be a slow version of Life Esidimeni and there is a sense that many of the people who had treatment at this hospital are in fact dying but they are dying individually at isolated places. If that is true, I think it is the worst indictment on the provincial government,” said Balton
Last week, Gauteng government spokesperson Thabo Masebe said the delays were due to a disagreement between the Department of Health and the Department of Infrastructure Development.
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