The Gauteng Department of Health has stepped in to address the laundry crisis at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto, following public outcry over dirty hospital linen. Nurses recently raised concerns about infection control, with images of soiled linen circulating on social media.
In a statement, the department assured the public that measures are being implemented to restore normal operations. “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,” the department said.
The hospital’s ageing laundry infrastructure has been identified as a major issue. Currently, three tunnel washers are out of service, with only five dryers operational in one of the machines. Of the four ironers, one has been repaired, while the original equipment manufacturer is working on fixing two others.
To maintain cleanliness, the department has outsourced laundry services. “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 statement read.
Additionally, 106 staff members have been deployed to the laundry section to bolster capacity for day and night shifts. Two external service providers have been appointed, and two five-ton trucks delivered clean linen over the weekend to ease the backlog.
The in-house laundry caters to the hospital’s 2,888 beds and services other facilities, including Carletonville and Bheki Mlangeni Hospitals, 33 Soweto community health centres, emergency medical services, and forensic pathology units.
The department emphasized that a solid plan is in place to resolve the issue by 13 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.”