Load shedding Load shedding continues to loom over the country, but Provincial Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Nomafrench Mbombo, is working to make sure hospitals in the province stay online.
Last week she announced five additional hospitals in the Western Cape have been exempted from load shedding, bringing the total number of hospitals protected in the province to eight.
Tygerberg, Groote Schuur and Red Cross War Memorial Children’s hospitals were already exempted, along with New Somerset, Mitchell’s Plain, Karl Bremer and Victoria hospitals. George Hospital is exempted on the Eskom grid.
“I am happy that the voice of the Western Cape has been heard,” the minister said, “and I thank all stakeholders, especially the City of Cape Town and Eskom for their support in getting five additional hospitals exempted in province.
“We are looking forward to their support in realising the exemption of the remaining 14 hospitals in the order of priority.” The department has also requested that Wesfleur Hospital be added to the health facilities exempt from load shedding.
Among the other hospitals on the City of Cape Town grid for which exemptions have been requested are Mowbray, Helderberg, False Bay hospitals and The Oral Health Centre.
“We welcome the support shown by our electricity providers in exempting some additional hospitals from load shedding,” Mbombo said.
“Our staff at these hospitals can now continue providing quality health care without the worry of load shedding, especially in theatres and emergency centres. We continue to work collaboratively with the City of Cape Town and Eskom towards a safer, uninterrupted power supplied clinical setting in all our hospitals where our staff are required to save lives and provide the best possible care that is worthy of the residents of the Western Cape.”