Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) on Thursday unveiled the largest medical stores facility in South Africa.
The new state-of-the-art general is a project by the Gift of the Givers, which spent R60 million towards the development and conversion of the new stores.
This is after the hospital's special dispensary stores were damaged when a fire broke out on 16 April 2021, resulting in the hospital not having an adequate storage facility for supplies.
Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla, together with Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, and Gift of the Givers' Dr Imitiaz Sooliman, has since handed over a new 3 500 square metres general store to the CMJAH.
According to the department, the new stores have more than enough storage, adequate shelving and classification of stock, air conditioning and ablution facilities.
The facility is also equipped with integrated fire detection and suppression with firewater storage tanks.
In addition, it comes with a special dispensary, information communication and technology, and cleaning stores.
The development also boasts receiving, dispatch and transit offices, and one entrance and one exit to ensure accountability and safekeeping of goods coming in and out of the building.
Phaahla said work continues to complete the other areas affected by fire and in need of refurbishment.
"The new Charlotte Maxeke stores is a cutting edge, purpose designed and constructed medical facility which should prove to be a precedent to those that will follow.
"It is out of recognition amongst many of us that this hospital is a critical outpost in the health infrastructure design of South Africa. It cannot be let to fail or demise," said the Minister.
The new general stores are part of the ongoing charitable work the Gift of the Givers continues to do within the Gauteng public healthcare sector.
Last year, the organisation drilled boreholes at Rahima Moosa and Helen Joseph Hospitals with filtration systems and assisted displaced families and staff at Tambo Memorial Hospital during the Boksburg tanker explosion.
Nkomo-Ralehoko commended the donor organisation for consistently stepping in to assist communities in need both locally and globally.
"The impact of your support extends far beyond the hospital stores themselves. It ripples through our entire healthcare system, empowering us to provide better care, conduct critical research and make advancements in medical science. Your contributions have become the building block upon which we can build a healthier and more resilient society," said Nkomo-Ralehoko.
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In addition, Sooliman said that the CMJAH stores are part of the Gift of the Givers' ongoing interventions the organisation has undertaken across the country.
These interventions include the building and refurbishment of infrastructure, drilling of boreholes and water connection and the provision of scrubs and a range of items needed to improve healthcare services.
"We are not just ending with these largest medical stores in South Africa. As part of the ongoing interventions in healthcare facilities across Gauteng, we are busy with plans to take Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital off the grid with solar power. Plans have been drawn up, donors have been sourced and we are looking at finalising so that the project can be implemented soon."
