Nehawu, DA call for speedy investigation into Charlotte Maxeke fire
There have been widespread calls for an immediate investigation into the devestating fire at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Johannesburg.
The blaze has lead to the temporary closure of the facility.
The fire started on Friday in a storeroom at the hospital with melting plastic and medical supplies, causing flames to re-ignite a day later.
On Saturday, Gauteng Premier David Makhura visited the hospital and announced that the facility will be closed for seven days.
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) says the fact that the fire raged on for many hours proves that occupational safety measures are not adequately adhered to at the hospital.
"Investigations must reveal if the hospital has a functional fire sprinkler system and other measures to deal with such an ordeal," says Nehawu general-secretary Zola Saphetha.
"The fire at Charlotte Maxeke comes just two months after another storeroom of the Carletonville Hospital where medical equipment worth R23 million went up in flames.
"Workers go to work to sell their labour power not to sell their lives.
"We call on the employer to ensure their safety but adherence to the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Department of Employment and Labour must constantly deploy inspectors to enforce compliance."
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has described the fire as a huge blow to health services in Gauteng.
"I commend the heroic effort to transfer nearly 700 patients to other hospitals after the decision was taken to close CMJH for seven days, but I suspect that certain specialist services will be disrupted for far longer," says the party’s Jack Bloom.
"Cancer patients will suffer worst as the oncology department is near the parking lot that has collapsed.
"Another problem is that the Covid-19 crisis has worsened the waiting times for surgery, and thousands of patients will have to wait even longer for operations.”
Bloom says he is also concerned that the hospital may have suffered serious structural damage.
"This hospital has been poorly maintained for years, with frequent water leaks and a ceiling that collapsed in March 2017.
"The Gauteng Infrastructure Development Department should speedily assess whether the structural integrity of the building as a whole is safe.
"We need an investigation into the cause of the fire and why safety measures were not able to prevent it or stop it sooner."
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