22 June 2012
Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto, south-west of Johannesburg, was the first to benefit from a project to replace deteriorating electro-mechanical equipment in health facilities across South Africa’s Gauteng province.
Gauteng Infrastructure MEC Bheki Nkosi visited Chris Hani Baragwanath on Thursday to inspect the newly replaced laundry equipment at the hospital.
“Electro-mechanical equipment is central to the functionality of health facilities and the creation of a habitable healing environment,” Nkosi said.
The Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development embarked on the project last year, and was allocated R57-million for construction and R296-million for maintenance for 2012/13.
The project includes the replacement and refurbishment of boilers, lifts, laundries, chillers, autoclaves, electrical reticulation and change-over switches of generators which have exceeded their life-span.
The first phase of the project included the upgrading of the laundry at Baragwanath, which was recently completed at a cost of R16.5-million.
With the new tumble dryer, iron liner and two roller ironers, the 2 880-bed hospital is now able to complete the washing and ironing of 1 200 sheets per hour – an improvement on the 450 sheets completed by the old machines.
The new laundry equipment will also service other clinics in the Soweto, Vaal and Roodepoort areas, as well as forensic pathology units. It will also service the soon- to-be-completed Jabulani District Hospital.
“We are very happy because the hospital is now able to handle the speed of the load, it is also of high quality and will ensure savings on energy, water and detergents,” Nkosi said.
He added that the process of bringing the new technology to hospitals was being rolled out phase by phase.
Other hospitals that will benefit include the Charlotte Maxeke, George Mukhari, Jubilee, and Helen Joseph hospital.
Source: BuaNews
