Five additional hospitals in the Western Cape have been exempted from loadshedding, bringing the total number of hospitals protected in the province to eight.

This follows an urgent media briefing on 30 September, by the Provincial MEC of Health and Wellness, Dr Nomafrench Mbombo, after the non-exemption of hospitals by National Minister, Dr Phaahla, in the Western Cape.

Mbombo stated on the day, that the national government “left the Western Cape behind” and called upon them and all other stakeholders to exempt more hospitals in the Western Cape.

Read more: WC Health wants more facilities to be exempted from power cuts

Since then, the City of Cape Town and Eskom has made progress in exempting more hospitals.

Tygerberg, Groote Schuur and Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospitals were already exempted, prior to the request for the additional 19 hospitals.

Additional Hospitals now exempted on City of Cape Town grid:

• New Somerset Hospital
• Mitchells’ Plain Hospital
• Karl Bremer Hospital and
• Victoria Hospital

Additional Hospital exempted on the Eskom grid:

• George Hospital

“I am happy that the voice of the Western Cape was heard, and I thank all stakeholders, especially the City of Cape Town and Eskom for their support in getting 5 additional hospitals exempted within the Western Cape. We look forward to their support in realising the exemption of the remaining 14 hospitals in the order of priority.”

The remaining hospitals to be exempted, in order of priority are:

Hospitals on the City of Cape Town grid for which exemptions have been requested are (in this order)

• Mowbray
• Wesfleur
• Helderberg
• False Bay
• Oral Health Centre

Hospitals from the Eskom grid for which exemptions have been requested are (in this order)

• Khayelitsha
• Worcester
• Paarl
• Caledon
• Vredendal
• Eerste River
• Oudshoorn
• Ceres
• Beaufort West

“We welcome the support shown by our electricity providers in exempting some additional hospitals from loadshedding. Our staff at these hospitals can now continue providing quality health care without the worry of loadshedding, especially in theatres and emergency centres. We continue to work collaboratively with the City of Cape Town and Eskom towards a safer, uninterrupted power-supplied clinical setting in all our hospitals where our staff are required to save lives and provide the best possible care that is worthy of the residents of the Western Cape.”