Contractor appointed to repair equipment and provide clean linen at Bara

The Gauteng Department of Health has appointed a service provider to repair the laundry equipment at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto, Johannesburg.

This is after nurses raised their concern about infection control and cleanliness, as pictures of dirty linen surfaced on social media recently.

“The Gauteng Department of Health would like to reassure the public that several measures continue to be implemented to ensure the provision of clean linen to patients at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital,” a statement issued by the department said.

The department said the facility’s laundry has ageing infrastructure, which requires an overhaul. Three tunnel washers are currently out of service, with only five driers operational in tunnel washer number two.

One out of the four ironers have been successfully repaired, while the original equipment manufacturer is in the process of repairing two other ironers.

“In the interim, hospital linens are being laundered at Dunswart Provincial Laundry on a daily basis to ensure a consistent supply of clean linen to patients,” the department said.

Meanwhile, 106 staff members have been deployed in the laundry section to boost capacity during the day and night shifts.

“Additionally, external two laundry service providers have also been appointed to further support these efforts. Already, two five-ton trucks have delivered clean linen over the weekend,” the department said.

The in-house laundry at the hospital is not only responsible for providing the linen for its 2 888 beds, but also services facilities including Carletonville and Bheki Mlangeni Hospitals, 33 community health centres in Soweto, emergency medical services, and the forensic pathology service.

“However, the department has put a solid plan in place to ensure that soiled linen can be replaced quickly at a much faster turnaround time by the 13th of December 2024.

“The department assures the public all is being done to restore laundry to better functionality as speedily as possible, and the health and comfort of our patients remain our key priority,” the department said.