Provincial plans need an infusion of billions

PROVINCIAL health departments need tens of billions of rands to construct new hospitals and clinics and refurbish existing ones.

In KwaZulu-Natal, budgetary constraints have delayed the construction of Edendale Regional Hospital in Pietermaritzburg and the Madadeni Psychiatric Hospital in Newcastle. The two are expected to cost R3.6-billion in total. A further R1-billion is needed to replace three other hospitals.

The building of the R2.8-billion Dr Pixley ka Isaka Seme Regional Hospital in KwaMashu, north of Durban, is expected to start in September.

The province’s health department said it needed another R12-billion just to upgrade existing hospitals, but had been allocated only R1.9billion between now and March 2017.

In Gauteng, almost R1-billion is needed for hospital upgrades, but the health department has only been allocated about R174-million over the next three financial years, including this year.

At least five new hospitals are on the cards to replace the Kalafong, Sebokeng, Yusuf Dadoo, Jubilee and Tambo Memorial hospitals. But the department said there was no budget for the construction of the five health facilities. Funding had to come from the national Department of Health revitalisation grant, it said.

The Western Cape’s health de- partment confirmed that a decision had been taken to demolish the GF Jooste Hospital on the Cape Flats and rebuild it, because “the current buildings are not suitable for hospital” purposes.

It was also finalising the acquisition of new sites for the Helderberg, Victoria and Mossel Bay hospitals because they were not easily accessible to patients, visitors and staff.

GF Jooste, Victoria and Helderberg will have between 240 and 360 beds. Mossel Bay would be slightly smaller, the department said.

It said that the current replacement cost of a district hospital was about R6-billion.

The Western Cape’s health MEC, Theuns Botha, said: “In the Western Cape, the construction of new health infrastructure and the upgrade of older facilities is a priority.”

Limpopo and North West said they had no plans to demolish any hospitals.

North West is upgrading the Job Shimankana Tabane and Witrand hospitals at a cost of R257-million. Limpopo’s health department confirmed that the building of a new hospital in Musina was in the planning phase.

The Northern Cape has budgeted R165.8-million for the construction of a new community health centre in Port Nolloth. — Prega Govender