Unpaid Phone Bills Continue to Plague Pretoria Hospitals

Families are left in the dark about their loved one’s health conditions as telephones are not working at several Pretoria hospitals, adding to their mounting concerns about the crisis. The Gauteng Health Department revealed that the telephone systems were offline due to unpaid phone bills to Telkom, causing distress for patients and relatives.

Also read: Critical Deadline Approaches for Charlotte Maxeke Hospital to Settle Massive Electricity Bill

According to DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health Jack Bloom, the phone crisis has persisted for over five weeks, disrupting essential communication. Bloom raised concerns over the department’s handling of the situation, citing an overspend of R2.275 billion despite failing to meet key targets. The lack of communication has frustrated families, with one parent expressing grave concern over the inability to reach their son at Weskoppies Hospital.

Major hospitals like Charlotte Maxeke and Steve Biko are also affected, highlighting the department’s ongoing mismanagement issues. As patients remain in hospital beds, urgent action is needed to resolve this telecommunications debacle and alleviate the anxiety and uncertainty faced by their relatives.

Source: Pretoria hospitals phone bills still not paid

Also read:

Health Department Claims Bed Capacity Sufficient Amid Public Outcry

Picture: Pexels / Markus Spiske

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