Steve Biko Academic Hospital acts on surgery delays
The delays have been caused by the hospital’s 20-year-old air conditioning system, and staff have been using alternative theatres and helping repair with initiatives to keep patient care on track.
The Steve Biko Academic Hospital has recently been forced to implement contingency measures to address surgical procedure delays due to the facility’s ageing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
The facility’s HVAC system was originally commissioned in 2006.
In a released statement, the Gauteng Department of Health assured residents that they are taking these procedures seriously, thus the situation is being approached with urgency and safety in mind.
“To ensure that surgical care remains a top priority, hospital management is swiftly implementing alternative solutions, including the utilisation of external theatres to minimise disruptions and maintain the highest standards of patient care during this period,” the statement read.
Hospital CEO Dr Lehlohondolo Majake assured patients and residents that this is being attended to with the utmost urgency.
“Steve Biko Academic Hospital is a vital healthcare provider, not just for Gauteng, but also for patients from the North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. Recognising this significance, we are prioritising urgent interventions to restore theatre operations to full functionality as quickly as possible.
“We regret the inconvenience caused to the patients and families during this period. To mitigate the impact, alternative arrangements are being made to ensure continuity of surgical services,” Majake said.
A contractor has been appointed and is currently on-site to ensure patient care is not disrupted.
Renowned NGO, Gift of the Givers, via medical equipment specialist Amos Kgosana from LMS Industries, made efforts to restore and recalibrate non-functional machines at Steve Biko.
The first batch of repairs was recently completed, and the recalibrated machines can now be used by hospital technicians to service other equipment internally, saving hundreds of thousands of rands in outsourcing costs.
The Gift of the Givers also ran a ‘catch-up’ surgery initiative from July 12 to November 29, 2025.
The Catch-Up Surgery Initiative, also supported by the South African Society of Anaesthesiologists (SASA), performed the 80th catch-up surgery on February 23. This initiative aims to help reduce surgical backlogs and improve patient care in the region.
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