EVIDENCE WA KA NGOBENI, Johannesburg | Friday
THE Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, South Africa’s largest hospital, appears to have covered up a deadly power failure that crippled the overcrowded institution this month depriving it of life-support systems for several hours.
At least three patients are believed to have died as a direct result of the power cut which occurred on September 2 between about 8pm and 11pm. Electricity was cut after one of the main power stations in the area went down.
The Gauteng Department of Health said it had not been informed of the power failure or of its impact on the hospital’s equipment.
Senior nurses and patients who spoke to the Mail & Guardian confirmed that three patients who were admitted to ward 5 had died as a result of the power cut.
Nurses in charge in ward 6 said a patient had died after the power cut, but could not directly link her death to the power failure. The patient had been on a life-support system.
The deaths could result in lawsuits against the hospital management and the health department for negligence because of the apparent failure of the hospital’s back-up power systems to kick in.
The hospital administrators declined to answer questions faxed to them this week. Officials said more time was needed to collect information on the incident.
Doctors said that the power cut meant a total collapse of health care services as they had to work in darkness.
“It was very difficult,” said head of paediatrics Professor John Pettifor. He said medical staff had failed to perform necessary examinations on patients due to the power failure, but his unit was fortunate not to have had any casualties as no child was on a ventilator at the time.