BROKEN CAT SCANS AT BARA HOSPITAL

Doctors at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital cannot diagnose more than 500 patients because one of two CT scanners has been broken for more than seven weeks.

I visited the hospital last week on Friday and discovered that the second CT scanner had broken on New Year's Day and was being repaired.

Each machine would normally diagnose about 30 patients a day.

The one machine has not been repaired because the Gauteng Health Department  has not paid the supplier Tecmed for an extended maintenance contract.

This is an appalling situation. Some emergency patients have had to be diverted to the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital, while backlogs keep building up at Baragwanath.

The department claims to have settled all supplier debts, but I continue to get complaints about non-payments.

Patients' health should not be adversely affected by non-payments to suppliers.

Statement issued by Jack Bloom MPL, DA Gauteng Health Spokesman, January 6 2014

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