Bethal Hospital under construction

eMBALENHLE – Mr Gillion Mashego, MEC of the Department of Health, launched the rebuilding of Bethal Hospital on Thursday, 10 November.

The project is worth R560-m and the anticipated completion date is 10 September 2019.

The aim is to demolish existing buildings and replace them with a new building.

All work has to be done in three phases to ensure there are no disruptions and that the hospital is fully functional during construction.

Mr Mashego said this project is one of many that his department is working on.

He said in the economical trying times that the country is going through, his department has decided to invest in infrastructure development.

“Projects like these will help cut costs in the future and will create job opportunities for locals.

“We want to minimise transferring patients to other provinces because our own hospitals are not equipped to treat some of the illnesses.”

Mr Mashego said the ANC-led government is working to develop the province and to improve the lives of South Africans.

He said provincial government also intends building three state-of-the-art hospitals in the province, namely an academic hospital, a mental hospital and a TB hospital.

Bethal Hospital was built in 1942 and Mr Mashego said all the structures at Bethal Hospital will be demolished except the laundry and the workshop.

Mr Mashego acknowledged that his department is still facing some challenges, but is working hard to address those issues.

Ms Flora Maboa-Boltman, Govan Mbeki Municipal executive mayor, urged locals to cooperate and contribute to the success of this project.

She said residents must not stop or disrupt the project in any manner.

“The ANC always remembers our people.

“Lives will be saved here, let us work together to see the end of this project.”

Traditional house leaders and the hospital board praised the MEC for this project.

They urged the MEC to consider changing the name of the hospital to one of their Ndebele chiefs.