Five additional hospitals in the Western Cape have been exempted from loadshedding

Five additional hospitals in the Western Cape have been exempted from loadshedding. This was confirmed by the Western Cape’s Health & Wellness Department, bringing the total number of hospitals protected in the province to eight.

The Provincial Health Department held a media briefing last week, calling on National Government to exempt more hospitals within the Western Cape.

Health Minister, Dr. Joe Phaala, announced that Tygerberg Hospital, Groote Schuur -, and Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospitals were exempted from load shedding in the province.

The department has now exempted New Somerset Hospital, Mitchells’ Plain Karl Bremer Hospital and Victoria Hospital.  George Hospital has been exempted on the Eskom grid.

MEC Nomafrench Mbombo has welcomed the additional exemptions, but has called on Phaala to further exempt 14 more hospitals in the province.

 “I am happy that the voice of the Western Cape was heard, and I thank all stakeholders, especially the City of Cape Town and Eskom for their support in getting 5 additional hospitals exempted within the Western Cape. We are looking forward to their support in realising the exemption of the remaining 14 hospitals in the order of priority.”

"We welcome the support shown by our electricity providers in exempting some additional hospitals from loadshedding. Our staff at these hospitals can now continue providing quality health care without the worry of loadshedding, especially in theatres and emergency centres. We continue to work collaboratively with the City of Cape Town and Eskom towards a safer, uninterrupted power-supplied clinical setting in all our hospitals where our staff are required to save lives and provide the best possible care that is worthy of the residents of the Western Cape,’’ added Mbombo.

The remaining hospitals to be exempted, in order of priority are:

Hospitals on the City of Cape Town grid for which exemptions have been requested for are (in this order)

·        Mowbray

·        Wesfleur

·        Helderberg

·        False Bay

·        Oral Health Centre

 

 

 

Hospitals from the Eskom grid for which exemptions have been requested for are (in this order)

·        Khayelitsha

·        Worcester

·        Paarl

·        Caledon

·        Vredendal

·        Eerste River

·        Oudshoor

·        Ceres

·        Beaufort West

Done by: Mitchum George