Sad day for healthcare as Actonville’s Sunshine Hospital goes under the hammer on July 15
Despite holding on to hope, the burden eventually became unmanageable for the owner of the hospital, Ken Ford.
Sunshine Hospital, once a vital lifeline for road accident victims in Ekurhuleni, will go on auction on July 15, following its second closure in June last year.
This comes after the Road Accident Fund (RAF) failed to settle millions in outstanding payments to the hospital over several years, despite multiple court orders compelling it to do so.
In a July 3 interview with the Benoni City Times, hospital owner Ken Ford stated that the auction of the hospital and various other locations was advertised publicly three weeks prior.
“I am disappointed. The hospital saved many lives over the years, but now we find ourselves in this situation because of the incompetence of the RAF. It is too late now. For the past 25 years, we’ve been doing what the State could not.”
Ford revealed that the closure affected around 300 employees, including several external service providers.
The hospital, which was fully equipped with 200 beds and professional staff, first shut its doors in April 2023.
At the time, Ford cited growing financial strain that began in June 2022.
He said that despite holding on to hope, the burden eventually became unmanageable.
Ford, who lives in Cape Town, said he had to board a plane to Johannesburg on March 12 to break the sad news to his staff the following day.
Fraud claims
The RAF, which covers medical expenses for road accident victims, stopped payments to the hospital after accusing it of fraud and corruption.
However, the High Court in Pretoria ruled on May 22 that the fund and its head of corporate communications, MacIntosh Pholela, defamed Sunshine Hospital.
This followed Pholela’s comments during a televised interview with news channel eNCA in March last year in which he alleged the hospital was part of a ‘corrupt scheme’ involving unlawful patient transfers and ‘over-servicing and overcharging’.
Court documents, seen by the Benoni City Times and made public by the Law Library, state that Sunshine Hospital contended the statements were false and that this was not the first time such accusations had been made.
The hospital maintained that a report compiled by investigators employed by the RAF, which was subsequently released, found no evidence of wrongdoing on its part.
The respondents argued their statements were either truthful or constituted fair comment, based on ongoing investigations into allegations of corruption and billing irregularities at Sunshine Hospital. The RAF had previously issued similar media statements, and the hospital failed to take action in response to those statements.
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The court ultimately ruled that the allegations and statements were defamatory and false.
The order further states: “The first and second respondents are jointly liable for the applicant’s damages occasioned by the defamatory conduct and a determination of the quantum of the applicant’s damages, as well as an apology and retraction of the statement.”
In a Facebook post shared by one of the hospital’s employees, former colleagues reflected on how the hospital had impacted their lives:
• A few years ago, Sunshine was my family, my place of safety, my heart’s place. Sunshine was the best environment for a workplace. You did not just make friends and colleagues; you made ‘starlight’ friends for life. Mr Ford is true, dedicated and caring with his whole heart. Not often found in a workplace. Sunshine, the memories and place you hold in my heart will remain and thank you for the healing and caring for those who needed it most. Sunshine, you cared for each patient and treated all the same with golden service. I salute you, Sunshine.
• Thank you, Sunshine, for the unforgettable opportunity and journey that came with it. I’m deeply grateful to Mr Ford and Leon for opening a door for me when I needed it most; your belief in me meant everything. Nola, Matron Welma and Sr Habib, I will never forget your kindness and warmth. Your compassion carried me through many tough days. Hester, thank you for being like a mother to me and though my time there wasn’t without its hardships, every part of the experience shaped me. For that, I’m thankful. Thank you, Sunshine Hospital.
• Sunshine Hospital was the best place I ever worked. We were a group of people who cared for our patients and colleagues. I will always miss this hospital. What a pity that so many patients who needed care and help were denied excellent medical care. So many lives were touched in many ways.
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