The Gauteng Health Department is currently facing a major challenge as phone lines at some of the province’s clinics and hospitals remain disconnected.
Telkom, the telecommunications provider, disconnected the lines on Monday due to alleged outstanding payments by the department. This has affected a total of 83 clinics and 32 hospitals, with 16 hospitals still experiencing the issue.
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According to Gauteng Health spokesperson Motalatale Modiba, the delayed payments were a result of discrepancies in Telkom’s invoices.
The telecommunications provider would send invoices with descriptions of facilities that did not belong to the department. Despite the department making a payment of R4 million last week and another R3.4 million due to be released on Monday, the issue remains unresolved.
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In response to the situation, several hospitals and clinics in Gauteng have activated alternative phone numbers. However, there is currently no timeframe for the restoration of the original phone lines.
Modiba emphasised that the outstanding balance is in dispute and needs to be sorted out before the issue can be fully resolved.
The FF Plus party in Gauteng, represented by Amanda de Lange, has called for an amicable solution to be found in order to restore the phone lines. While the department has made a payment of R7.4 million to Telkom, the party believes that more needs to be done to address the underlying problem.
They also express concerns that similar issues may arise with other service providers, such as Rand Water and Eskom, if payment delays continue.
