By Lesego Makgatho 
17m ago
Johannesburg – Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital is slowly picking up the pieces after a fire that saw more than 840 patients relocated to other facilities two weeks ago.
The Gauteng Provincial Government said a preliminary assessment of the Special Dispensary Stores where the fire broke out indicated that Block 3 and 4 were the hardest hit.
“The two blocks shall remain closed until engineers complete a detailed structural assessment,” read a statement.
The phased re-opening was scheduled to start on Saturday with the transfer of patients and services set to resume on Monday.
The department said this would be guided by the assessment and plan of the clinicians, engineers, and occupational health and safety team.
“The rest of the hospital which was not affected by the fire is being prepared for the resumption of services and the return of patients. All patients will be transferred during the weekend of 1 to 2 May and the hospital will resume services from 3 May.”
Meanwhile, Gauteng Health Department spokesperson Kwara Kekana said the cleaning of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system and air ducts had commenced inside the entire hospital.
“The cleaning is complete, and the air quality test has confirmed that the facility is safe for occupation and use. This took place between the last two weeks,” Kekana said.
She added that safety measures were in order at the time of the disaster. “Fire protection systems such as hydrants, extinguishers, hose reels, are inspected monthly. These were last inspected in March 2021.”
Kekana said the Department fully appreciates the inconvenience the incident caused to patients, staff, management and the general public.
“The safety of staff and patients, as well as the quality of care provided to every patient, remain the most important priorities of the Gauteng Provincial Government and the hospital management as they prepare for the resumption of services,” Kekana said.
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Sunday Independent
Credit IOL