By Mapaballo Borotho

- Gauteng Health says dialysis treatment at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital has continued despite supply challenges.
- The department confirmed delays in procuring certain dialysis consumables but says contingency measures prevented disruptions to patient care.
- The clarification follows claims by the Democratic Alliance that patients were affected by shortages linked to unpaid suppliers.
Dialysis treatment at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital remains uninterrupted despite recent supply challenges affecting certain dialysis consumables.
This was confirmed by the Gauteng Department of Health following claims by the Democratic Alliance (DA) that patients were suffering because of a shortage of dialysis treatment at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Johannesburg.
Gauteng Health spokesperson Steve Mabona said the hospital experienced low levels of sodium bicarbonate solution three weeks ago due to delays in the procurement process.
“The facility maintained continuity of care by implementing contingency measures. As a result, no dialysis treatments were missed, and no procedures were cancelled or postponed. The Department also confirms that the supply of dialysis filters used in intensive care was affected following regrettable delays in procurement processes,” he said.
Mabona said that while the supply challenges placed operational pressure on the service, there were no adverse patient outcomes.
According to the DA, the shortage of these life-saving dialysis consumables stems from the Gauteng Department of Health’s failure to pay suppliers.
Responding to the claims, the department said measures are being implemented to strengthen procurement planning, improve turnaround times and enhance supply chain management to minimise the risk of similar incidents.
“The Department is working closely with healthcare facilities and suppliers to safeguard the availability of essential medical consumables while ensuring that patient care remains uncompromised across all public health facilities in the province,” Mabona added.
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