Hospitals face crisis

DA appalled after department fails to pay R15m debt.

- Thando Nondywana

The Gauteng health department's ongoing financial crisis has once again jeopardised patient care.

This after gas supplies to T Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital have been discontinued due to unpaid bills.

The supplies were cut off by Egoli Gas more than a week ago, leading to disruptions in hospital operations after the department had failed to pay its R15 million debt.

DA Gauteng shadow health MEC in Gauteng Jack Bloom said this highlights the severe financial mismanagement in the province's health care system.

Bloom said the latest incident lays bare the ongoing financial mismanagement plaguing the province's health care system.

"The DA is appalled that the department's disastrous mismanagement leads to major companies cutting off essential supplies to hospitals," he said.