Payment dispute sees phone lines cut to Gauteng hospitals, clinics
Several hospitals and clinics in Gauteng have activated alternative numbers after Telkom cut phone lines due to unpaid bills.
The telecommunications provider disconnected phone lines due to what is claimed to be outstanding payments by the Gauteng Health Department.
A total of 83 clinics and 32 hospitals were affected.
Gauteng Health said the delayed payments were due to several discrepancies where Telkom would send invoices with descriptions of facilities that do not belong to the department.
Spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said R4 million was paid last week, with another R3.4 million due to be released on Monday.
“We continue to engage with Telkom to find an amicable way of attending to the disputes without impacting service delivery, especially given that the department has indicated that it intends to honour its commitments where invoices are not in question.
“As part of the long-term solution, the department is currently in the process of migrating its facilities to the Gauteng Provincial Voice Network system operated by the eGovernment Department, which will drastically reduce the costs of communication within institutions and externally. Already, 130 sites have been migrated to the new system.”
Members of the public are urged to use the contact lists published on the GDoH’s webpage using this link https://www.gauteng.gov.za/Departments/CPM-001006/Publications.
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