Concerns over hospital patient care during loadshedding
Exemption from load shedding for state-owned institutions is still under discussion.
With the long hours of ongoing loadshedding in the country, hospital staff and patients are on edge.
In some hospitals, patients have been scheduled for surgeries, however are uncertain whether the procedures will be carried out, as a result of loadshedding.
According to President Cyril Ramaphosa‘s State of the Nation address recently, hospitals should apply to be exempted from loadshedding as it poses a risk to patients’ lives.
Port Shepstone Regional Hospital’s PRO Phumza Morai said the hospital has made an application and is under some exemption, however it is not permanent.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health spokesperson, Ntokozo Maphisa said: “Our healthcare facilities, including Port Shepstone Regional Hospital have generators which serve as a primary mitigation strategy in the event of loadshedding. Regarding the exemption of hospitals from loadshedding, discussions are ongoing between all affected state entities in this regard, including officials from the Department of Health, municipalities and Eskom.”
Once discussions have been finalised, the public will be notified whether Port Shepstone Regional Hospital and other local state-owned hospitals will have loadshedding or not.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like the South Coast Herald’s Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
