Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has said a new central hospital is under construction, that there are also plans to develop another three academic hospitals – in provinces that do not have any – and that three existing central hospitals are to be completely overhauled.
And, in his budget vote presentation to the National Council of Provinces on Tuesday, he also announced that R750m has been allocated to the country’s HIV response, reports News24.
An 11th central hospital, a “flagship hospital”, is among the facilities which will receive a budget allocation over the next year, he said.
Limpopo Central Hospital, which is 26% complete, “will be a flagship hospital for the province” and the health science faculty of the University of Limpopo, he added.
There are currently 10 central or academic hospitals – one in the Eastern Cape, one in the Free State, two in KwaZulu-Natal, two in the Western Cape and four in Gauteng.
Motsoaledi said construction was under way at five other hospitals, including Siloam District Hospital in Vhembe, Limpopo, (90% complete); Dihlabeng Regional Hospital in the Free State (which is undergoing significant renovations – 30% complete); the brand new Bambisana District Hospital in the Eastern Cape (82% complete); the Zithulele District Hospital in the Eastern Cape’s OR Tambo district (halfway complete); and the Bophelong Psychiatric Hospital (under construction in the North West).
Apart from the hospitals under construction, the department had prioritised several key hospital projects “placed strategically to strengthen South Africa’s public health hospital network, particularly in high-demand areas in Gauteng, but also in underserved areas”, Motsoaledi said.
These include 17 major hospital projects, of which three involve the total refurbishment of major central or academic hospitals. Those set to be overhauled are the Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital under the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University in Gauteng, the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital under Walter Sisulu Medical University in Mthatha, and the Victoria Mxenge Hospital (formerly King Edward VIII Hospital) under the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban.
Three new central hospitals will be added to provinces that do not have any: Mpumalanga Academic Hospital, North West Academic Hospital, and Northern Cape Academic Hospital, but the projects are still in the “very early planning stage”.
Motsoaledi said district hospitals would also be built in “strategic and overburdened areas”: Diepsloot District Hospital and Eldorado Park District Hospital in Johannesburg, the Soshanguve District Hospital in Tshwane, the Dobsonville/Meadowlands Hospital in Soweto, and the Holomisa Hospital in Gauteng, while there will be a new psychiatric hospital in Mpumalanga.
During his presentation, Motsoaledi said apart from the allocated budget of R64bn, the National Treasury had added R6.7bn to try to “reverse years of austerity measures which have crippled the system”.
In addition, R750m is being allocated to the HIV response, the largest portion going to Mpumalanga (R118m) and KwaZulu-Natal (R95m).
Around R94m will be allocated to the Eastern Cape and Gauteng respectively, and the Western Cape will be allocated R90m. Limpopo will get R69m, the Free State R20m, and the North West R7m.
“Northern Cape will not get anything because there was no President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) involvement there – because none of the districts qualified as high burden districts,” he said.
News24 article – Health budget unpacks plans for new teaching hospitals (Restricted access)
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