The Gauteng Department of Health on Tuesday said dialysis services at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital had continued without interruption despite recent supply challenges affecting some dialysis consumables. Department spokesperson Steve Mabona said the hospital had experienced low levels of sodium bicarbonate solution roughly three weeks earlier, following delays in the procurement process. He said contingency measures had kept the service running.
“Contrary to reports that the hospital had completely run out of consumables, the facility maintained continuity of care by implementing contingency measures. As a result, no dialysis treatments were missed, no procedures were cancelled or postponed,” Mabona disputed. However, this account was contradicted by the DA, which said the hospital had completely run out of sodium bicarbonate solution, a component it described as essential for daily dialysis treatments, and had been forced to borrow emergency supplies from Helen Joseph Hospital to sustain patient care.
DA’s Gauteng spokesperson for health and member of the provincial legislature, Madeleine Hicklin, accused the department of denying the severity of the situation. ICU filter shortage confirmed by department Mabona said the supply of dialysis filters used in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit had been disrupted by the same procurement delays. He said the hospital had sourced supplies from other facilities within its cluster to limit the impact on patients.
“The department also confirms that the supply of dialysis filters used in intensive care was affected following regrettable delays in procurement processes. To minimise any potential disruption to patient care, the hospital temporarily sourced supplies from facilities within its cluster,” he said. Mabona added that procurement had since been fast-tracked, with delivery of most of the outstanding filters expected soon, saying that “approximately 60%” of the outstanding dialysis filters are expected to be delivered in due course.
However, the DA gave a starker account of the filter shortage, saying supplier Fresenius Medical Care had not delivered filters used for continuous dialysis in the ICU for six weeks because the department had failed to settle its account. Hicklin warned this had put patients at serious risk. “Without these critical medical supplies, patients face life-threatening co…
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