Sunshine Hospital sold for R21m at auction
Former owner Ken Ford, who flew in from Cape Town for the auction, was present to sign the final transfer documents.
Bidders battled it out at the Houghton Golf Club today (July 15) as the long-anticipated auction of Actonville’s Sunshine Hospital came to a close, with the 200-bed private facility ultimately selling for R21m under the hammer of Aucor Property.
The fully fledged 200-bed hospital, which spans an erf size of 4 895m², was one of 40 properties on auction.
The successful bidder, whose identity is known to the Benoni City Times, made a swift exit after the auction before the newspaper could speak with him. His name will be revealed once an interview has been secured.
Former owner Ken Ford, who flew in from Cape Town for the auction, was present to sign the final transfer documents.
Speaking to the City Times, Ford described the moment as a sad day.
“I’m gutted to be honest, but it is what it is,” he said, visibly moved.
Ford added that he hopes the new owner will consider re-employing some of the hospital’s former staff, saying a list of their names would be made available for consideration.
Several former doctors and staff members attended the auction, watching closely as the fate of their once-thriving institution was sealed.
Sunshine Hospital closed its doors for the second time in June 2024, following an earlier shutdown in April 2023.
The closures followed the Road Accident Fund’s (RAF) failure to settle millions in outstanding claims spanning several years, despite multiple court orders compelling payment.
The RAF, which covers medical expenses for road accident victims, stopped payments to the hospital after accusing it of fraud and corruption.
However, on May 22, the High Court in Pretoria ruled in favour of the hospital, finding that the RAF and its spokesperson, MacIntosh Pholela, had defamed the facility.
The court found Pholela’s remarks, made during a televised eNCA interview in March 2024, to be false and damaging. He had claimed the hospital was part of a “corrupt scheme” involving unlawful patient transfers, over-servicing, and overcharging.
Also Read: Sad day for healthcare as Actonville’s Sunshine Hospital goes under the hammer on July 15
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