Protest halts Dr George Mukhari hospital extension project
The project was put on ice following local community protests over sub-contracting opportunities and rates.
Local community protests over “sub-contracting opportunities and rates” have brought a halt to the construction of a new R500-million facility at the Dr George Mukhari academic hospital in Ga-Rankuwa.
This was according to Gauteng Infrastructure Development Department spokesperson Bongiwe Gambu.
While this so-called “alternative building technology (ABT)” facility has been put on on hold, she said work on the ABT facility at the Jubilee hospital has however been completed.
This facility, consisting of 300-bed isolation and high-care ward, cost the Gauteng government more than R240-million.
“The Jubilee hospital ABT facility was completed in November 2020,” she said.
“It is currently being used to accommodate Covid-19 patients and will be repurposed after the pandemic for the use of other patients.”
Gambu said more than R128-million has been spent on the Dr George Mukhari project and it was estimated that the project would cost R332-million after completion.
“The facilities were meant to be used for both Covid-19 and after the pandemic. The provincial government decided to construct permanent structure instead of temporary structures and field hospitals as these facilities will be used post-Covid-19 to accommodate patients for other levels of care in the hospital.”
The two facilities, both of which have two 300-bed isolation and high-care facilities, were built using “alternative” building technologies.
Last year, during a visit to both facilities by the department’s MEC Tasneem Motara, she said that the building of the structures started in June.
The last handover was expected to be at the end of November.
“The facilities will include nurses’ stations, an admission facility and storerooms. Both facilities will be used post-Covid and that is why they will be permanent structures and not field hospitals.
“They can be used for whatever the hospitals may need in future, whether it is a trauma theatre or even radiology.”
She said it would be up to the Department of Health and the hospitals what the structures would be used for after they have been handed over.
“Once we have handed the structures over to the hospitals, they will furnish them with beds and equipment, and they will be ready to be used.”
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