UPDATE: Charlotte Maxeke, five people injured

PARKTOWN – Gauteng MEC for Health, Gwen Ramokgopa had a walkabout at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital after a roof collapse left five people injured.

During the walk through, Ramokgopa interacted with staff and patients at the hospital.

There she was told about the current status and the contingency measures that have been put in place to ensure the hospital runs smoothly.

The academic hospital is now redirecting patients using public transport to gate six and has cordoned off the section of the collapse for inspection and investigation.

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, Jack Bloom said it is normally busy where the roof caved, with thousands of patients passing every day.

“So the casualties could have been much higher.”

He also cited that an independent investigation is needed into the cause of the collapse.

Bloom mentioned that just last week, the hospital’s Poly 3 Dental Clinic had to be evacuated because parts of the ceiling collapsed.

“Staff and patients need to be assured that all parts of the hospital are safe and that problem areas are attended to as soon as possible.”

He added that the public now needs to know what measures are being taken to ensure that this contractor was competent to do the job, as negligence has been cited as a contributing factor in the collapse.

Department of Infrastructure Development (DID) is concluding the final clean-up of the affected area. In a statement, the Department of Health said they would continue to monitor the situation and work closely with the DID to resolve the matter.

Related article: BREAKING NEWS: Roof collapses at Charlotte Maxeke

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