An event at Charlotte Maxeke hospital in Johannesburg on 18 May 2023 to hand over the new general stores that were built by Gift of the Givers costing R60 million after the recent fire within the hospital destroyed their previous smaller stores. Picture: Neil McCartney / The Citizen
South Africa’s health sector was given a much-needed boost as a state-of-the-art storage facility was unveiled at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) today.
Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, attended the unveiling ceremony, along with MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko.
The upgrades were made possible thanks to a collaboration with Gift of the Givers. Dr Imtiaz Sooliman on Thursday opened the doors of the sprawling 3,500 m² general storage facility.
Given the fire incident in April 2021, it was reassuring to see the facility is fitted with integrated fire detection and suppression systems, including fire water storage tanks.
Gift of the Givers poured R60 million into the construction project, paving the way for the construction of much-needed infrastructure.
WATCH: Charlotte Maxeke hospital fire rages into the night
The new storage facility is a significant upgrade on the previously cluttered tunnel stores used by the hospital.
The upgrades include ample storage space, proper shelving for organised stock keeping, as well as air conditioning and modern ablution facilities.
A fire in April 2021 severely damaged the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital’s store section.
Since the academic hospital is one of South Africa’s most crucial health facilities, the event represented a major setback.
Nevertheless, Gift of the Givers funded private ambulances to move patients from the pediatric ICU to nearby hospitals immediately after the blaze.
As reported by Construction Safety, architects and engineers from Gift of the Givers focused on a disused nurses’ dining room on the premises for this project.
The plans, which prioritised fire safety protocols, were approved by Gauteng Health, National Department of Health, Public Works, CMJAH Management, and the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
Once the red tape was out of the way, construction began, resulting in a 3 000 square meter masterpiece.
It’s currently the largest medical storage facility in South Africa.
READ: Gift of the Givers helps stranded SA citizens return home from Sudan
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