Standerton TB Hospital in Gert Sibanda District to potentially relocate
The Department has already developed plans for the possible relocation.
MBOMBELA – Standerton TB Hospital, which falls under the Lekwa Local Municipality, may soon be moved to Mbhejeka near Tjakastad, which falls under Chief Albert Luthuli Local Municipality.
This has been a move which health MEC Gillion Mashego has been considering for quite some time. He first started contemplating the move after discovering that the community health care centre (CHC) in Tjakastad was underutilised. Mashego visited the structure in 2014 where he discovered that, although it had been constructed, it was not effectively utilised.
The state-of-the-art CHC in the Chief Albert Luthuli Local Municipality was constructed during the 2010/11 financial year. It is a well-built CHC which is suited for the provision of services.
After the visit, Mashego instructed his senior managers in the department to come up with a strategy that will ensure that the CHC is effectively utilised. This is when the department recommended to the MEC that the hospital be moved to Mbhejeka CHC.
Unfortunately, SANTA is not renovating and maintaining the structure. This means that officials and patients are at risk because the hospital is non-compliant with the national core standards. Unfortunately it is beyond the department’s ability to do anything about this because it does not own the structure.
The department aims to start with the plans and designs on Mbhejeka in the current financial year of 2017/18 so that it complies with requirements of being a fully fledged TB hospital. A current assessment done by the department indicates that an amount of about R9 million is required to effect modifications at Mbhejeka. The department is of the view that the modification will be effected in the new financial year of 2018/19. That said, Mashego has emphasised that the planning, designs and appointment of a contractor must be done during this financial year.
In a meeting held on Tuesday November 14 between the TB hospital board, the local councillors, MMC for community services and safety and executive management of the department; Mashego assured all parties that all employees at the Standerton TB Hospital would not loose their jobs. He also stated that the new structure would be able to provide accommodation for officials.
Mashego offered to avail himself to go and show these same individuals the facility at Mbhejeka so that they get see the structure under discussion. The hospital board, councillors and the MMC welcomed the move and appreciated it. They were also grateful for the minor renovations to be done at Mbhejeka CHC. These will ensure the structure complies with the national core standards.
Information supplied by Mr. Dumisani Malamule of the communication Directorate on behalf of the Mpumalanga Department of Health.
