DocumentClosedcommittee question
Whether he has been informed that the St Matthews Clinic in Mthwaku Village, Keiskammahoek, makes use of a gas fridge to store critical medication such as vaccines, and that when the gas is depleted, the clinic has no other way of storing v
Parliament of South AfricaRef: NW195
Official source
Source domain: pmg.org.za
Collected on 17 June 2026
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What this means
Parliament of South Africa
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health facility cold-chain backup and storage arrangementOngoing
Vaccine cold-chain support through backup power and cold storage at St Matthews Clinic
The reply explains that the clinic’s vaccine storage and cold chain are supported through electricity installation, a Minus 40 Degree Celsius refrigerator, and backup power (solar panels and a generator) to maintain cold storage during electricity supply disruptions.
- Who it is for
- St Matthews Clinic in Mthwaku Village, Keiskammahoek (for vaccine and essential medicine storage)
- How to act on it
- No application or enrolment process is described; the document reports that backup power and cold-chain equipment are in place for the clinic.
Show the line this came from
Currently the vaccines and related medical supplies, are kept in the clinic using a big Minus 40 Degree Celsius electricity refrigerator. Furthermore, the health establishment had solar panels installed, during 2024/2025 financial year. The solar panels and a generator are fully functional and provide backup power when there are electricity supply disruptions.
Facts
Places
Eastern Cape
Reference
NW195
Key Takeaways
- reference: NW195
- date: 26 February 2026
- location: St Matthews Clinic, Mthwaku Village, Keiskammahoek
- issue: use of gas refrigerator for vaccines during electricity outage
- temporary arrangement: vaccines stored at SS Gida Gateway Clinic
- electricity restoration: generator and inverter procured in 2022/2023; electricity installed in 2023/2024
- current storage: big Minus 40 Degree Celsius electricity refrigerator
- backup power: solar panels installed in 2024/2025; generator and solar provide backup
- health department: Eastern Cape Department of Health
- status: issue addressed with ongoing backup power and cold chain management
Dates
Opening Date
26 February 2026
Closing Date
26 February 2026