Gauteng Health denies food shortage at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital

The Gauteng Health Department has denied that Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital has run out of food.

On Thursday, the Democratic Alliance (DA) raised concerns that hospital had run out of food because of contract mismanagement and non-payment of suppliers.

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health Jack Bloom said Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital had no bread for the past two weeks and that some doctors and nurses had taken in food to feed starving patients.

However, in a tweet the Gauteng Health Department assured people that the hospital has enough food for patients.

“We wish to assure families of patients and the public that Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital has not run out of food. All other types of food are served, there was only a short supply of bread which has thus far been resolved and the bread supply capacity improved.”

Meanwhile, there has been widespread reaction to the claims that Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital had run out of food.

The DA’s Shadow Minister for Trade & Industry Dean Macpherson tweeted: “But we sent R50 million to Cuba because apparently they have no food?”

Macpherson was referring to South Africa’s donation to Cuba as the country battled food security challenges amid the sanctions imposed by the United States of America.

Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Alvin Botes informed the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation about the donation in February.

The R50 million donation to Cuba was one of the initiatives the South Africa had undertaken as it sought to strengthen relations with other countries.

Efficient Group chief economist Dawie Roodt told The Citizen that R50 million was too small to make a noise about, but in a country with high unemployment, poverty and hunger the figures mattered as they added up in the long run.

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