The KwaZulu-Natal health department has denied allegations that patient deaths at Northdale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg were caused by a recent power outage.
Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane addressed concerns after a protest outside the hospital, where demonstrators claimed the outage had led to fatalities. She strongly dismissed the claims and ordered action against kitchen staff who were seen cooking patients’ food over open fires outside the hospital during the blackout.
Simelane expressed serious concern after images of the outdoor cooking surfaced on social media. She instructed senior hospital management to investigate the situation.
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According to her, the hospital experienced a widespread electricity outage affecting the area. Although all three backup generators initially activated, one later malfunctioned, causing disruptions to certain parts of the hospital, including the kitchen.