UPDATE: Helen Joseph to receive new linen
ROSSMORE – Gauteng Department of Health denies that surgeries and operations get cancelled, but admits that they postpone them to accommodate emergency and life-threatening cases.
Following reports that surgeries are being cancelled due to shortages of clean linen at Helen Joseph Hospital, Gauteng Department of Health spokesperson Steve Mabona has confirmed that the department is in the process of acquiring brand new linen at a cost of R3 million for theatre cases.
The hospital which is based in Rossmore has been experiencing a shortage of clean linen throughout July, but Mabona said that will soon be a thing of the past.
Mabona said they have put measures into place to ensure better linen management.
DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health Jack Bloom informed that on 23 July about 25 operations were cancelled and 10 more surgery cases were cancelled on 27 July. About 20 surgeries were cancelled on 16 July and there was also disruption of surgery on 7 and 14 July.
However, Mabona said whenever the pressure arises, surgeries and operations are not cancelled but postponed to accommodate emergency and life-threatening cases.
“The hospital also does limited washing of the laundry and linen in-house using a small industrial machine,” he said.
On the issue of the broken boilers, Mabona highlighted that they are engaging the Department of Infrastructure Development to fast track the repair and maintenance of the boilers and autoclaves so that they always have sufficient clean linen in the area.
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