Gauteng Health Dept welcomes cash injection to replace ageing hospital equipment
JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng Health Department has welcomed a cash injection to replace ageing hospital equipment, including the machines that power laundry services in public facilities.
The national Department of Health (GDoH) has set aside R100 million for Gauteng's recapitalisation programme in 2025, with half of that earmarked specifically for laundry machinery.
But questions remain about whether it's enough to rescue a system buckling under decades of neglect.
From Bheki Mlangeni to Tembisa Hospital, where infrastructure failures routinely disrupt care, broken machines, maintenance delays, and outsourced emergency fixes have become normal.
Bheki Mlangeni Hospital, for instance, is currently backlogged and forced to rely on Chris Hani Baragwanath and Dunswart laundries to keep basics like bed linen in circulation.
The Gauteng Department of Health said assessments had already been done to identify what needs fixing, with refurbishments underway at hospital theatres in Carletonville and Bheki Mlangeni.
'We do acknowledge that while this intervention is happening, we also experience frequent breakdowns, this impacts on our operational efficiencies," said GDoH spokesperson Motalatale Modiba.
For communities where basic equipment failures routinely compromise patient care, the funding offers hope but whether it's enough to rebuild trust in the public health system remains to be seen.
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