17 February 2017
“The Hospital Association of South Africa notes with grave concern the announcement of Eskom power cuts in a media statement issued yesterday by the power utility for Doornpoort, Churchill, Kwa Guqa, Witbank and Ermelo, that may seriously affect private and public hospitals serving these areas.
Even though hospitals are functioning through the use of back-up generators, these are not long-term solutions so the situation may constitute an ongoing risk to patients and those seeking medical assistance, including those who may need critical care.
Given the scale of the outstanding debt owed to Eskom, reported to be in the region of R1 billion, and the stated position of the municipalities that owe Eskom for power provided, namely that they do not have the money to repay Eskom, it is reasonable to conclude that this matter may take some time to resolve.
It is a matter therefore of urgency that the Government acts through its relevant agencies to restore power to affected hospitals to ensure the provision of healthcare is not compromised. Similarly, it is urgent that Eskom recognises that the provision of healthcare through affected hospitals should not be compromised because of the failure of municipalities to resolve their debt obligations.”
