R73m in first aid for Tygerberg Hospital
THERE are 33 priority infrastructure projects in various stages of development and construction at Tygerberg Hospital, according to the provincial Department of Health.
Altogether, expenditure on maintenance and remedial works at the hospital during the 2019/20 financial year came to R73.9 million. Of these, two are complete, eight are under construction, three are in the procurement stage and 28 others are in the design and documentation phase.
These statistics emerged during a status update on the hospital’s infrastructure project to the standing committee on health given by the department’s chief director of infrastructure and technology management, Laura Angeletti du Toit.
“A further 16 projects are either on hold or planned, pending confirmation of affordability,” said Du Toit.
“Among the projects that we have completed in the financial year are the upgrading of the air conditioning units serving the Block C operating theatres and the upgrade of two passenger lifts which serve the pharmacy west block. These were done at a cost of R22 million and R6.5 million respectively,” said Du Toit.
“There has also been remedial work carried out on the theatres on the first floor of Block B worth R46 million,” said Du Toit.
“In March we had to change some of our priorities as a result of the pandemic and so we spent R5.5 million upgrading wards for admitting Covid19 patients,” said Du Toit.
Committee member Ayanda Bans (ANC) had asked what projects were complete, how critical they were and whether the projects on hold had been put on the back-burner because of the pandemic or budgetary constraints.
Tygerberg Hospital chief executive
Dr Dimitri Erasmus told the committee that by August 17, 653 occupational health and safety assessments had been done at the hospital.
“The assessments were performed by all line managers but some cases were referred to occupational health for ratification or adjudication,” said Erasmus.