Accident and Emergency Unit at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital reopened but no walk-ins allowed

The Accident and Emergency Unit at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital has officially been reopened, however no ambulances or walk-in patients are allowed.

Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla this morning conducted a site-visit and led the official re-opening of the Accident and Emergency Unit at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.

The Department of Health said the reopening is in line with the decision made in March that this critical unit of the facility will be ready by the end of April 2022 as part of a phased-in approach to rehabilitate the hospital.

The critical hospital to Gauteng and the SADC region was gutted by a fire in April last year

“The process of gradual transfer of patients from other facilities to this hospital has been going smoothly since the beginning of this month. Of course this also meant even staff members, especially those who were temporarily transferred to other hospitals had to gradually return to their permanent workplace,” Phaahla said.

He added that the first group of patients, mostly from Helen Joseph Hospital Emergency Department, moved in on May 4 and as of today the total number of 15 patients has been transferred. They are also Psychiatry patients who are awaiting admission, the minister added.

“It should also be noted that, even though the Accident and Emergency Unit will be commissioned, as a Central, Quaternary, Academic Hospital, the facility will be admitting priority 1 and 2 patients and will not be open for walk-in patients at the current moment,” Phaahla said.

The Star