By 
PRETORIA — Steve Biko Academic Hospital will undergo a planned four-hour electrical supply interruption on Saturday, 22 August 2026, as part of critical infrastructure maintenance. The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) announced that the four-hour power cut, scheduled from 09:00 to 13:00, will focus on Levels 8 and 9 of the facility.
The upcoming power cut follows a major system changeover in September 2025. Expert assessments after that project identified additional changeover breakers requiring repairs to fortify the hospital’s overall power resilience and Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems. Once complete, the upgrades will allow the facility’s backup generators to automatically pick up the load within seconds of any municipal power grid failure.
Patient Safety and Contingency Protocols
Levels 8 and 9 accommodate key services, including the Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Neonatal, and Paediatric units, along with six operating theatres, wards, and critical care areas.
To maintain patient care and minimize risks, a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and hospital management initiated patient movement plans early in the week:
- High-Risk Patient Transfers: High-risk patients and those on respiratory support on Levels 8 and 9 are being moved to secure clinical areas elsewhere in the hospital. Transfers began Thursday, 20 August, and will wrap up by Friday, 21 August.
- Rescheduled Elective Surgeries: A total of 33 elective surgeries originally set for Friday at the Level 8 theatre complex have been rescheduled.
- Emergency Surgical Operations: Emergency surgeries will proceed uninterrupted using operational, unaffected theatres on other levels.
Transition and Next Steps
Restoring full routine operations across the affected floors will require roughly 16 hours following the repair work, mainly to safely transfer relocated patients back to their original units.
The GDoH noted that a final phase of electrical maintenance targeting Level 6 will be scheduled and communicated at a later date. Members of the public seeking further information can contact the hospital’s Patient Care Services line at 012 354 1027.
