Two months ago Health MEC Phumulo Masualle did not think the shoddy construction work at a Transkei hospital would ever be fixed. But yesterday his pessimism was turned to optimism.
Masualle paid a surprise visit to Holy Cross Hospital in Flagstaff and found that the dire situation had been turned around. The MEC was shown the newly- built x-ray section, a theatre, administration block, surgical ward, main entrance and medical ward. And hospital management promised all wards would start operating fully by the end of November.
Work on the maternity, paediatric, mortuary, physiotherapy and general wards, stores and kitchen is also nearing completion and should start operating in the first week of December. Masualle visited the hospital in August and was shocked to discover that construction work, which started in 2003, had still not been completed.
And at that time Holy Cross only had two doctors on staff. Yesterday, Masualle found that not only had construction work almost been completed but the number of doctors had increased to nine and two more therapists, plus a number of nurses. “When I visited the hospitals (in August) I saw lots of problems, but it seems a lot of work has been done in most hospitals,” Masualle said yesterday.
The problems at Holy Cross started when the contractor awarded the tender apparently disappeared before completing the job. The project was then handed over to another contractor, Amangcoya Construction Company, to complete the job.
Initially the Department of Health set aside R105 million to give the century-old missionary hospital a facelift. But the shoddy workmanship saw this figure ballooning to R205 million.
“The truth is that we lost lots of money and time. The construction was initially R105 million. We are still exploring possibilities of recovering the lost money (from the first contractor),” Masualle said.
“We would not employ that company again. I think it is already out of business. We will never recommend it for any department, and government should avoid working with such companies.” Managing director of Amangcoya Jean Masson said when his company moved in to continue the construction at Holy Cross in May this year; he was shocked to find the bad work that had been done. “Nothing had been completed and we had to knock down the (hospital) kitchen and rebuild it from the scratch. “I was absolutely shocked with the way the job had been done,” said Masson.
Within five months, Amangcoya have managed to complete most of the work. Health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said the official opening of the hospital would follow later. “The department is still budgeting for the occasion. Our priority is to have services running at the hospital.”
Issued by: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
6 November 2009
Source: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecdoh.gov.za/)
