DA blames Charlotte Maxeke hospital CEO for food and hot water issues

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has called for the removal of the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) CEO, following allegations that patients were left without food and hot water.

The party called for Gladys Bogoshi’s removal this week, after reports that doctors and nurses struggled to care for hungry patients who were served only bread and porridge instead of a balanced, nutritious diet.
DA shadow health MEC Jack Bloom claimed the hospital had even run out of basic supplies like tea and sugar.

No food or hot water at Charlotte Maxeke hospital – DA

The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH), however, dispelled claims that the hospital compromised patient care on Friday.

Bloom said CMJAH management failed to communicate with staff while rumours about problems with food contracts allegedly circulated.

“A competent CEO would have contingency plans for food shortages and would communicate extensively,” Bloom said in a statement on Wednesday.

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The shadow MEC said staff do not hold Bogoshi in high regard, as they believe laundry, food, heating, and staffing issues have worsened since she became CEO in February 2013.

“She should have been held accountable for the devastating fire in April 2021, and she showed poor leadership in the slow restoration of services thereafter,” Bloom said.

“A top-class CEO should be recruited urgently to fix the hospital’s manifold problems, restore trust with staff, and improve the quality of patient care.”

Hospital continues to receive food supplies – GDoH

The department hit back at Bloom’s claims, saying that the hospital had experienced delays in the supply of patient food around mid-March due to compliance issues between the food supply company and the local municipality.

GDoH spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said the matter had long been resolved and CMJAH continues to receive food supplies.

“It is imperative to clarify that no patient was starved of food during the delays in supply; the hospital management proactively managed the situation with contingency orders for in-house cooking to ensure that all patients continued to receive three meals a day.”

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“It is our priority to ensure that all patients receiving care in our facilities are treated with the highest standard of care,” Modiba said.

Regarding the hot water issue, the department explained that the hospital uses steam in calorifiers to supply hot water. These calorifiers function as heat exchangers, forcing steam through coils to heat the surrounding water.

“The coils in these calorifiers have corroded and must be replaced. Unfortunately, the coils are not off-the-shelf items and must be manufactured with a turnaround time of four to six weeks,” the department said.

Modiba claims that only two hospital blocks have experienced problems with the hot water supply for a few weeks due to these corroded coils.

Corroded coils being fixed

In addition to boiled kettle water, areas affected receive hot water from the surrounding wards and clinics.

“A contractor is currently on-site, and installation for the first block is currently underway and is expected early in the coming week. Work on the second block will begin as soon as the first block is completed, as the installations cannot be performed simultaneously,” the department said.

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