By Doreen Mokgolo
- Weskoppies Hospital’s electricity was cut due to R1.2-million in unpaid bills for March and April.
- Backup power is not enough to fully operate the hospital, forcing staff and patients to manage in the dark.
Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya is being criticised after cutting off electricity at Weskoppies Hospital over unpaid bills.
The hospital owes the City of Tshwane R1.2-million for services in March and April. On Monday, as part of the Tshwane Ya Tima campaign, the city disconnected the hospital’s electricity.
The Gauteng Health Department said the R1.2-million bill was already being processed when the city decided to cut the power.
“The delay in payment is due to the transition to the new financial year,” said the department.
They said Weskoppies usually makes extra payments to keep the power on, but couldn’t this time. The department also processed R3.8-million on the same day for other facilities in Tshwane.
They said generators and solar panels were helping the hospital to continue caring for patients until electricity is restored.
But DA Health shadow MEC Jack Bloom said the backup power isn’t enough to run the hospital properly. He said patients are left in the dark with cold water and meals.
“Earlier this year, there was a power disruption for several weeks because of power cable problems,” he said. “Nurses had to use a cellphone light to dispense medicine to patients who were sometimes violent.”
He said the latest cut could have been avoided with proper talks between the health department and the city.
“Last month, the department revealed in reply to my questions that they owed a total of R225-million to municipalities, which they blamed on money shortages and invoice problems,” Bloom said.
Dr Innocent Chauke, who commented on social media, said: “The need to recover the electricity bill is quite pressing, but there are patients in Weskoppies who are facing life and death conditions.
“The municipality’s need to collect its money should never supersede our health priorities and imperatives, both as a country and as a city.
“We do not want to wake tomorrow with no electricity at George Mukhari or Steve Biko Academic Hospitals just because they owe the city.”
Pictured above: Weskoppies Hospital.
Image source: Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya
