Editorial

‘Getting out of the dark’: Implications of load shedding on healthcare in South Africa and strategies to enhance preparedness

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A E Laher, B J van Aardt, A D Craythorne, M van Welie, D M Malinga, S Madi

Abstract


Power failures and the lack of a robust contingency plan could prove catastrophic in any healthcare environment, with varied and far-reaching consequences. In 2003, a 28% rise in both accidental and non-accidental deaths was recorded in the USA as a result of mass power outages. For every day with a power outage lasting longer than 2 hours, hospital mortality has been estimated to increase by 43%.


Authors' affiliations

A E Laher, Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

B J van Aardt, Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

A D Craythorne, Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

M van Welie, Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

D M Malinga, Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

S Madi, Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

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Keywords

Load shedding; Power outage; Power cut; Power failure; Blackout; Electricity; Healthcare

Cite this article

South African Medical Journal 2019;109(12):899-901. DOI:10.7196/SAMJ.2019.v109i12.14322

Article History

Date submitted: 2019-11-27
Date published: 2019-11-27

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