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Phone lines at Gauteng hospitals are down due to unpaid bills

By: Natasha Archary

phone lines at Gauteng hospitals
Image: Adobe Stock

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, Jack Bloom joins Phemelo Motene on Point of View to share that phone lines at major Gauteng hospitals have been down due to unpaid bills.

According to Bloom the situation is far worse and it extends to Charlotte Maxeke, Steve Biko, Kopanong Provincial, Westkoppies Psychiatric Hospitals, and 83 Gauteng clinics.

“I put out a press statement on Monday, 26 February and interestingly, the Gauteng Department of Health responded and they say 32 hospitals and 83 clinics don’t have functional switchboards.

They say there’s quote discrepancies in the billing and they are disputing the bills with Telkom. How are patients supposed to make appointments, make enquiries? I mean if you have a relative who’s just undergone an operation, how are you supposed to get information on how they’re doing?

This is a situation that has affected thousands of people, I mean doctors have had to use their cellphones to get patients lab results in emergency situations. It’s unthinkable, and the fact that they’ve only admitted it in relation to my statement today, I’m gobsmacked.”

DA Shadow MEC for Health – Jack Bloom

In response, the Gauteng Department of Health says there are alternative contact numbers for the Gauteng hospitals that don’t have functioning phone lines until the billing disputes with Telkom are resolved.

“As part of the long-term solution, the Department is currently in the process of migrating its facilities to the Gauteng Provincial Voice Network system operated by the eGovernment Department which will drastically reduce the costs of communication within institutions and externally.

Already 130 sites have been migrated to the new system.

Members of the public are urged to use the following link https://www.gauteng.gov.za/Departments/CPM-001006/Publications for the alternative numbers for affected Gauteng health facilities.”

Gauteng Department of Health

Listen to the conversation on Point of View with Phemelo Motene:

Also read: Joslin Smith is still missing, public urged not to share false information

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