The Department of Health is on the right track with efforts to ensure the priority hospitals are excluded from loadshedding as part of plans to minimise the disruptions on the provision of essential health services during power outages.
The Department and Eskom have implemented the long-awaited exemption of North West Hospitals, which include Taung Hospital and Ganyesa Hospital, and this has pushed the total number of exempted from 72 to 77.
This is work-in-progress and the inclusion of North West hospitals is part of the commitment made by Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla that, no province will be left behind.
Although, due to technical challenges, some health facilities will take time to be exempted.
The department will keep the public abreast of progress made with regards to hospital exclusions around the country.
We are working closely with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to conduct feasibility study on the roll-out of solar panels in the critical areas in health facilities as part of energy mix to mitigate the impact of loadshedding and overstraining the backup generators.