How difficult is it to fix the phones at Charlotte Maxeke hospital?

28 July 2022

Despite being only partially open, the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital has about 800 in-patients and thousands of out-patients, but the hospital switchboard has been broken for more than a week.

Anxious relatives can’t find out how their loved ones are doing, and patients cannot call departments for information and appointments.

It’s an outrageous situation, but the hospital has made no attempt to communicate with the public about what is being done to fix it.

This is one message I have received:

“Good morning to you Mr Bloom. Trust you are well. I am trying to phone Charlotte Maxeke switchboard. I want to get hold of the Oncology ward or doctor or somebody. My daughter as you know has cervical cancer stage 3 and has to undergo chemo then radiation. They told my daughter they would phone to advise when is her first chemo session. That was last week Thursday to date they have not communicated with her. This treatment must start ASAP we don't want this to spread. Please could you advise me of a doctor's name the quality assurance or somebody that I could speak to. No response from landline.”

With some difficulty I was able to get the alternative numbers.

See alternate numbers here

But when I phoned the alternative switchboard number I was told it was only for emergencies and calls could not be put through to other departments. And hardly anyone has been informed of these alternative numbers.

The real question is why is it so difficult to get the phones working at this major hospital?

Many other public hospitals have the same problem, which is blamed on outdated switchboards. According to a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature earlier this year, 25 public hospitals have recently experienced switchboard problems, sometimes for weeks on end.

I will continue to badger the Gauteng Health Department to upgrade switchboards in our hospitals as they perform a vital function.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 28 July 2022