Bethal hospital urgently needs direct power line
CONTENT SUPPLIED
15 September 2020
Although the Bethal hospital does make use of generators, which costs them approximately R755 000 per month, the hospital morgue and other departments are incurring significant damage due to the constant power outages and fluctuations.
Media Statement - Sources at the Bethal hospital voiced their concerns about the frequent power outages that residents and the hospital have been experiencing over the last five months, and it must be resolved. The FF Plus is calling on the Govan Mbeki Municipality (Bethal, Charl Cilliers, Embalenhle, Evander, Kinross, Leandra, Secunda, Trichardt) and Eskom to stop punishing the hospital and paying Bethal residents by implementing load shedding that lasts up to eighteen hours on a daily basis.
The municipality simply cannot make the responsible residents, who pay their accounts, suffer the detrimental effects of rotational municipal load shedding because the municipality owes Eskom R1,8 billion, a debt burden for which incompetent and irresponsible officials are to blame. Although the Bethal hospital does make use of generators, which costs them approximately R755 000 per month, the hospital morgue and other departments are incurring significant damage due to the constant power outages and fluctuations.
The unnecessary costs of repairing fridges and other essential equipment, which are not directly related to the patients' health, are putting pressure on the hospital's finances, and the FF Plus fears that it might result in the needless loss of lives. The FF Plus will bring these issues to the attention of the MEC’s of the Departments of Health and Public Works, so that a solution to the problem may be found.