Bronkhorstspruit hospital relieves pressure at neighbouring Mams facility
Previously the hospital CEO Dr Phumzile Nkumani says before the upgrades, the facility did not have the necessary infrastructure to handle the influx of people who came in for medical treatment.
Resources introduced at the Bronkhorstspruit healthcare facility during the destructive Covid-19 pandemic have proved fruitful two years later.
This is according to the Gauteng Department of Health which has emphasised that that equipment has helped relieve pressure at a Mamelodi regional hospital.
The Bronkhorstspruit facility can now boast new offerings such as diagnostic medical sonography.
The department also plans to repurpose about 116 beds to accommodate medical, surgical, paediatric and trauma emergencies.
The hospital will also offer rehabilitation functionality such as physio, occupational and speech therapy, and podiatry services.
Department spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said since the upgrades to the Bronkhorstspruit hospital were completed in 2021 after months of delays due to the so-called construction mafia, the Alternative Building Technologies (ABT) helped decongest four Gauteng public hospitals.
He said the ABT had also allowed for the expansion of healthcare services.
“The 150-bedded ABT at Bronkhorstspruit Hospital has allowed for the expansion of services and increased bed capacity, relieving pressure on Mamelodi regional hospital.”
Modiba said post Covd-19, there was now a 10-bed unit for a 24-hour accident and emergency, and a 30-bed ward for male medical, optometry and ophthalmology services.
“A total of 116 beds will be repurposed to accommodate 36 medical beds, 36 surgical beds, 16 paediatric beds, 14 A&E beds, 14 isolation beds, and a rehabilitation unit for physio, occupational and speech therapy, and podiatry services.”
The shift in resources is at a point when Covid-19 is manageable.
Former Gauteng premier David Makhura and health MEC Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi officially opened the then-newly built Covid-19 isolation ward at the Bronkhorstspruit Hospital in May 2021.
This construction was one of a few that, according to Makhura, was delayed after individuals who referred to themselves as the “business forum”, sought to extort money from the project.
The hospital was one of four in Tshwane, including the Mamelodi hospital, that benefitted from infrastructure upgrades and gained eight ICU beds and 16 paediatric cot beds.
Hospital CEO Dr Phumzile Nkumani previously said before the upgrades, the facility did not have the necessary infrastructure to handle the influx of patients.
She said the hospital was forced to transfer patients to the Mamelodi Hospital or Steve Biko academic hospital.
She also said these hospitals in the cluster were under pressure and the upgrades would go a long way towards alleviating that.
“This will assist us to manage our patients efficiently and also relieve the burden at the Mamelodi and Steve Biko cluster,” she said.
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