The public is advised to disregard a message that has been circulating on social media platforms, regarding changes to visiting hours at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH).
The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) on Friday, 25 April 2025 said that the stakeholder consultation process to review the current visiting hours at the facility is still underway and no final decision has been taken. The visiting hours remain 14:00 to 16:00. Once the consultation process is concluded, a formal announcement will be made to communicate any developments.
The review process was instituted in an effort to improve patient care and facilitate communication between families and clinicians regarding patients' conditions and further address traffic congestion that is often caused by employees and visitors leaving the hospital at the same time.
Furthermore, the Department strongly refuted and condemned false and misleading messages claiming that individuals will be required to pay to visit their loved ones in hospital. Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital or any of the Gauteng public health facilities does not charge visitors when coming to see their loved ones.
"We appeal to the community to avoid sharing unverified information as it causes unnecessary confusion and concerns among patients and their loved ones. Any official information from the hospital will be shared through various official communication channels of the Department including its social media accounts," stated Motalatale Modiba, GDoH Head of Communication.