Public Health News South Africa

Contingency plans for Charlotte Maxeke patients

The Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) has put various measures in place to ensure patients still receive care with minimal disruption, after a fire broke out in a medical store and caused structural damage to parts of the hospital.

No-one was injured in the fire and nearly 700 patients were evacuated to other facilities.

Gauteng premier, David Makhura, shut down the hospital for seven days, while the damage is assessed, and patients have been diverted to other facilities.

Caesarean surgeries

According to the Gauteng Health Department, all planned caesarean surgeries and all those who need urgent operations at the CMJAH should go to Discoverers Community Healthcare Centre a day before they are scheduled for admission.

The clinic is located at number 39 Clarendon Drive, Discovery, Florida, in the west of Johannesburg.

Meanwhile, all antenatal services will be offered at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital.

Gynaecological surgery

All patients booked for gynaecological surgery will be contacted for new appointments, which will now be done at South Rand Hospital by CMJAH medics.

Gynaecological clinic services will also be provided at South Rand Hospital. All booked patients will be contacted and given new dates.

Treatment of admitted patients

Patients that were transferred from the CMJAH following the fire are being properly accommodated at other hospitals in the province.

The process to inform families where their loved ones have been transferred commenced on Saturday, 17 April 2020, and is still underway.

All enquiries should be sent to the Gauteng Citizens Relationship Management hotline on 0800 22 8827, 0800 428 8364 or email hotline@guateng.gov.za or support@gauteng.gov.za.

“We thank the people of Gauteng for their patience during this period. The department will communicate more information as and when it becomes available,” the department said.

GPG hotline

The Gauteng provincial government has activated a hotline to deal with public enquiries, regarding chronic medication, various surgeries, gynae clinic etc as well as families checking up on loved ones who were admitted at the hospital.

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