People wandering into the Sandton Convention Centre last week could have been forgiven if they thought they had walked onto the set of a sci-fi futuristic film for, contained within its four walls, were some of the most remarkable innovations, diagnostics, technologies and services in the field of medicine and health on display.
Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) is one of the biggest hospitals in the Southern hemisphere. It was closed in April after a fire that originated in an underground parking area caused a section of the hospital to collapse, rendering the entire facility unsafe.
A collapsed floor and roof after the fire at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg. No attempts have started to repair the damage. (Photo: Mark Heywood)
Since then patients and staff have been relocated to other hospitals in the province at considerable cost to the already overburdened health network.
The Gauteng health department (GHD) and the Gauteng department of infrastructure development (GDID) insist they are acting as swiftly as possible to reopen the hospital.