Makhura: Parts of Charlotte Maxeke to open ‘effective immediately’
Parts of Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital have been cleared for reopening, two months after it was closed down.
The Johannesburg hospital has not been fully operational since it was gutted by a fire in April.
Patients were uprooted and reassigned to nearby health facilities while work was being done to repair the infrastructure.
Plans to reopen in May suffered some setbacks.
But Gauteng Premier David Makhura says government has been working around the clock to get the structure up and running again.
“The clinicians presented to us very clear evidence to us that the people that were at Charlotte Maxeke are now overburdening the other hospitals. Those hospitals had their own patients.
“But also Charlotte Maxeke is needed.”
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The Oncology ward, as well as blocks 1 and 2 have been given been certified safe for use.
“Block 1 and 2 are opening with immediate effect. With immediate effect - it is the hospital management that’s having the plan to bring back those services.
“They have to organise that stuff in a way that will provide the kind of service. All we know there will be space for Covid interventions in there. Neonatal, which they said is where the pressure is and they added several other services that will be brought in,” Makhura said.
“All these things are phased in. After that block 1 and 2, it will be the other blocks, we’re hoping 3 and 5 but block 4 will be last.”
The loss of bed capacity at Charlotte Maxeke has also put strain on the the province’s Covid response.
Watch Makhura below:
#Covid19SA | Makhura: Waiting for full compliance in September is not feasible.
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) June 24, 2021
We will open blocks 1 and 2 as well as the Oncology wards in the meantime. Oncology patients will be returned once compliance certificate is signed off. pic.twitter.com/iVUKrgDE8D
