Free State health authorities transferred 21 critical care patients to nearby private hospitals after cable theft at Bongani Regional Hospital in Welkom in the early hours of Friday.
The provincial health authorities received information shortly after midnight that the electricity feeder cable to the 450-bed hospital had been stolen. Eskom officials worked throughout the early morning hours to restore supply.
Authorities moved seven patients from the neonatal ICU, nine patients from the neonatal high care unit, a patient from the paediatric ICU and four patients from the ICU.
“Our community needs to work with government to ensure criminals do not take over and kill vital services such as health and those vital to human development.
“The department condemns these acts of criminality and vandalism,” Free State health MEC Montseng Tsiu said.
Head of department Godfrey Mahlatsi thanked health workers who acted under stressful conditions to transfer the patients.
TimesLIVE
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