All smiles from President Ramaphosa after inspecting Covid-19 hospital

President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital earlier today (Friday) to personally inspect the hospital’s Covid-19 preparedness. The president was taken on a tour of the facility by Gauteng Premier David Makhuru, Gauteng Health MEC Bandile Masuku and various members of the Gauteng Health Department.

Following the visit, the president said he was pleased with the plans currently being rolled out to ensure the hospital was ready for the predicted peak of the pandemic, which was yet to come. “The country needs to prepare well now because come August and September, we will need a lot of hospital beds.”

Gauteng had three dedicated Coronavirus hospitals, with more than 10 000 beds already on standby. The president commended the premier and MEC for the level of care put into preparing the province’s hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities ahead of the expected onslaught. This, he said, encouraged the allocation of more funding to the province. “The question of financial resources becomes easy when a province demonstrates it is both innovative and foresightful and is really working hard to safeguard the health and lives of its people.”

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Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital and various other healthcare facilities across the country had been receiving upgrades to facilities and equipment. President Ramaphosa explained that this would also benefit the country post-pandemic in terms of the roll-out of the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme.

He expressed his gratitude to the healthcare workers who risked their lives daily for the health of the people of Gauteng. “Our frontline health workers are the real foot soldiers in the fight against this invisible enemy and we can’t thank them enough.”

Designated Covid-19 hospitals in Gauteng:
• Charlotte Maxeke Hospital, 5 Jubilee Road, Parktown, Telephone – 011 488 4911
• Steve Biko Hospital, Corner of Steve Biko Road and Malan Street, Prinshof (Pretoria), Telephone – 012 354 1000
• Thembisa Hospital, 539-541 Reverend R.T.J. Namane Drive, Hospital View, Thembisa. Telephone – 011 923 2000

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