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The hospital is named after the late ANC struggle veteran Bertha Gxowa, who died in November 2010, at the age of 76. Photo: Mbuzeni Zulu 17/12/06. © Sowetan.

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The state-of-the-art Bertha Gxowa Hospital was opened in November last year as part of a revamp and extension of the old Germiston Hospital. Since then the hospital has not been fully functional. Patients have been housed in the adjacent Germiston Hospital building.

Bertha Gxowa has until this week only been providing pharmacy services, an antenatal clinic, outpatients clinic and chronic illness clinic. The hospital also boasts a Home Affairs birth registration office, a lounge for new fathers and a mortuary, all of which have not been used.

When Sowetan visited the hospital this week only one of the four lifts of the public was working. Outpatients had to bring their own food as there was no canteen.

Some public toilets were not flushing.

Maternity emergencies were still being referred to the old Germiston Hospital.

The beds in the new wards were not occupied. According to staff patients were to be moved to the new building this week.

The old building is in disrepair. The walls are cracking and the toilets filthy. The only public lift was not working.

Jacqueline McDonald, a patient for two weeks, said conditions were disgusting.

"We are about 20 in my ward and we fight over the two toilets. Some patients soil themselves in their beds because the toilets are always busy or not working at all," said McDonald. "We also bring our own linen because the laundry machine is faulty."

Hospital CEO Christina Mndaweni did not want speak about the cause for the delay.

"We've had a few snags at the new building and there's no point talking about them now as they have been fixed," she said. "We are starting to move some of the 149 patients and we hope to finish by Friday (today)."

The communication office of the Gauteng department of health failed to comment yesterday.

Comments

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Mon May 20 08:08:56 SAST 2013 ::

Aug 24, 2012

MommaC

NHI anyone?
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Aug 24, 2012

2shy2call

What you expect the Hospitals to do? Go assault people, course accidents or shoot people to feel the beds.

Better idea turn it into a B&B. Yaa sothat the beds become occupied.

Ya
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Aug 24, 2012

cornelius

@ 2shy2call there are enough sick people, the problem is that the hospital cannot take them in because of poor management. What a disgrace, more taxpayers money going down the drain.
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Aug 24, 2012

MommaC

2shy2call

Overcome your phobia of reading and READ THE ARTICLE
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Aug 24, 2012

Lehido

Motswaledi you loud-mouth, zdid you know that?..Go and fix it Mr NHI
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Aug 24, 2012

flakes

and 500million was spent on this??? wow!!! like how pathetic can this get, yoh!!!
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Aug 24, 2012

Serene

"We've had a few snags at the new building and there's no point talking about them now as they have been fixed," she said. "We are starting to move some of the 149 patients and we hope to finish by Friday (today)."
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poor planning, poor management, etc.
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Aug 24, 2012

Mwelase

CEO Christina Mndaweni wants to hire her family first and she is reserving them the vacant positions. Yet in that R500m she is earning on momthly basis. That Zuma cronies as he is praying for the womans to lead in the positions. Crayvagen hospital is a mess even by now even if they can change the name to Bertha the fact remains the is no service delivery.
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Aug 24, 2012

Catswhiskers

@serene
'poor planning, poor management', and NO REPERCUSSIONS OR ACCOUNTABILITY.
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Aug 24, 2012

Lizo

@Serene
Not to forget poor service , i went to the hospital two moths back had an asthma attack it ws the worse day of my life i even regreted why i even went there in the first place.....It was a nightmare the whole going up & down ,Doctors & Nurses dont wanna do their job the always pass the bug...
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