Gauteng Health Receives R100 Million Grant to Tackle Aging Hospital Equipment

Johannesburg – 21 May 2025

In a significant boost for the province’s public healthcare system, the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) has received a R100 million grant from the National Department of Health to address the persistent challenges caused by aging machinery and critical hospital equipment.

This funding allocation, aimed at the 2025/26 financial year, will support a major recapitalisation programme focused on the refurbishment and replacement of outdated equipment.

Of the total grant, R50 million is earmarked specifically for upgrading laundry machinery — a crucial service that has severely impacted hospital efficiency due to frequent breakdowns.

Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, confirmed that the department has already begun assessing the condition of existing equipment to identify what needs repair and what requires full replacement.

“To date, work has already commenced with the refurbishment of theatres at Carletonville and Bheki Mlangeni hospitals. This will be extended to all facilities in need,” said Nkomo-Ralehoko.

Laundry service disruptions have been especially problematic at Bheki Mlangeni Hospital, which depends on Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital for its laundry needs. Machinery breakdowns at Baragwanath have led to backlogs, raising concerns about the impact on patient care.

To mitigate the crisis, Dunswart Laundries has stepped in to help with the backlog, processing loads overnight. Hospital management is also considering temporarily outsourcing laundry services to ensure continued patient support.

The grant marks a proactive step toward strengthening public health infrastructure in Gauteng and ensuring that service delivery is not compromised due to outdated equipment.