Broken switchboards at two major Gauteng Hospitals

14 February 2024

Hundreds of patients and their relatives are distressed as they cannot contact the Steve Biko and Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg hospitals because of broken telephone switchboards.

I tested the numbers myself and a message says they are incorrect.

Switchboard failures are a major problem as patients cannot make enquiries or confirm appointments, and anxious relatives cannot find out how their loved ones are doing.

Staff often use their own cellphones to contact patients or arrange transfers.

Telephone problems are widespread in Gauteng public hospitals.

According to the Gauteng Health Department In a reply to my questions a year ago, 25 of the province's 37 hospitals had experienced switchboard problems, sometimes for weeks on end.

Loadshedding causes many of the breakdowns, but the main failure is outdated switchboards.

The DA calls for an urgent upgrade of all hospital switchboards as easy communication is a vital need for staff and patients.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, 14 February 2024