The Free State Department of Health has confirmed the temporary closure of the maternity ward at the National District Hospital in Bloemfontein, following a Prohibition Notice from the Department of Labour and Employment due to low temperatures in the facility. The ward, which has 21 beds, was shut down on Thursday, 10 July.
In response, the hospital has diverted low-risk maternity cases to the MUCPP Health Centre, while high-risk cases are now being treated at the Pelonomi and Universitas Hospitals.
“The maternity ward at National was closed last year in July 2024 following a fire but was reopened in a different ward in September 2024 as a makeshift space to meet service demands,” department spokesperson Mondli Mvambi told Bloemfontein Courant on Tuesday.
Mvambi explained that the relocated ward was always meant to be temporary while renovations were ongoing. “The heating and cooling system is subject to the general renovations that are happening. The circuit breakers are old at National, and the infrastructure unit is working on all the renovations,” he said.
Only five mothers and their newborn babies were in the ward at the time of closure. “They have since been discharged home safely over the weekend,” Mvambi confirmed.
No new admissions have been accepted since the closure. “All cases meant for the National Hospital have been diverted,” he added. At the time of print, maternity services were set to resume in Ward 3 of the same hospital.
Justine Fortuin
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