PRETORIA - An investigation has revealed that major delays have marred the restoration of Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Johannesburg.
The probe found that poor planning and contractor disputes are to blame.
The Gauteng Infrastructure Development and Health departments were tasked with repairing the hospital after a fire broke out in April 2021.
The office of the Public Protector conducted the investigation following a complaint.
“As a result of the fire damage, the structural integrity of the hospital was compromised as confirmed by the structural engineer's report,” said Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka.
“The hospital lost substantial clinical space and some services were moved to other hospital facilities. Outpatient capacity was drastically reduced with headcount decreasing from approximately 80,000 to 30,000 per month after the fire, thus illustrating the scale of the crisis.”