The Western Cape Department of Health says it is going full steam ahead with its plans for new facilities and three major projects that include Klipfontein, Belhar and New Tygerberg Central hospitals, reports News24.
At a briefing by the department to the provincial legislature’s Standing Committee on Health last week on its infrastructure plans for the 2024/25 financial year, Dr Laura Angeletti-du Toit, chief director of infrastructure and technical management, told MPLs the mega projects are complex, but that time and cost were the two priorities.
Klipfontein Regional Hospital
In 2013, after the decommissioning of the GF Jooste Hospital in Manenberg, there had been plans to rebuild the facility but due to community demand, it was decided to build a larger, regional hospital, with Manenberg selected as the preferred location in 2015.
“We identified a site that’s not as big as we would have liked: it’s 7.2ha, and it’s quite tight but larger than the old GF Jooste site,” Angeletti-du Toit said.
Construction will be carried out in three phases, and the site will be completed in 2033.
Belhar Regional Hospital
As part of the department’s efforts to unbundle Tygerberg Hospital into two facilities, the Belhar Regional Hospital will service the Tygerberg sub-structure, the Khayelitsha and eastern sub-structure, and the Stellenbosch sub-district. It is due for completion in 2033.
New Tygerberg Central Hospital
In 2009, a decision was made to redevelop Tygerberg Hospital after a 2005 report by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) indicating the hospital was nearing the end of its use and economic life and was no longer suitable for delivering modern healthcare standards.
The aim is to keep the current building functional until the new building is commissioned and the old building is repurposed.
The cost of the new building will be R11bn, and similar in size to Groote Schuur. Construction is expected to start between 2028 and 2032.
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